Cool toys and Gadgets

The Sanyo R227 Internet Radio was announced in October for release in Canada, but we just learned the device will be available for US customers very soon. This is great news for those looking for more ways to access their favorite Internet radio stations while not hunkered over their computers.

The R227 connects to the Internet by means of a Wi-Fi module or an Ethernet connection. It can also access wireless networks that are secure by entering in a passkey. You can search for radio stations online from all over the world to pinpoint the tunes you want to hear.

Since there are no fees, this device makes for a comparable alternative to satellite radio stations. It supports all sorts of formats including AIFF, MP3, AAC, WMA and WAV. Plus, with 8 pre-set stations, you can keep track of your favorites. And for those times a Wi-Fi signal or an Internet connection in general is not available, the device includes a digital FM stereo receiver and you can connect an MP3 player to it for output over a home theater system. Other features include the ability to share music over a network, an alarm clock, a web interface, and two speakers with 2W RMS. You will be able to get your hands on Sanyo R227 Internet Radio in January for $169.99.

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Section: Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

This is the best story of the holiday season.  One outfit, Lightning GPS and their distributor, Brickhouse Security, are offering churches free GPS tracking devices for use during the holiday season when they have valuable nativity scenes placed outside their buildings.  For some, the temptation to boost (steal) these figures is too great and many congregations are left to mourn the financial and emotional loss.

But not now.  Lightning GPS will guide police, much like the North Star guided wise men across a desert (sorry, couldn’t resist) to their figures.  While the tech isn’t new - we’ve seen commercial devices track down motorcycles and boats - giving them away as a way to help churches and garner some free publicity is new.

A GPS Tracking Device can track objects virtually anywhere in the world and is small enough to covertly fit inside most everyday objects. If that object is moved or tampered with, a silent alarm is triggered, alerting the owner that the object is on-the-move.  At the same time, an individual or police can go online and instantly track the item on a map anywhere it goes.

Putting the churches on the offensive is an interesting move.  I imagine there is very little street cred in responding to the, “What are you in for?“ question in jail with, “I stole baby Jesus.“  You’ve been warned.

Press release: [pr web] company site: [Lightening GPS]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Designer: Mac Funamizu

After delivering a transparent concept design, ‘Mac Funamizu‘ has once again given some hard knocks at your door to butt in your sweetest dreams with his latest concept. As the name defines, the ‘time-telling vibration phone’ is a smart concept that gradually brings you back from the dreamland with ascending vibrations instead of nauseating loud sounds or songs. Working as a polite alarm-clock, the device allows you to know the time without opening your eyes by pressurizing both the flanks that activates the time-checking vibrations for a few seconds. Lighter vibrations indicate that you have quite enough time to dream on, but, greater the vibes, closer it moves towards the set time. No doubt, waking up early in the morning is no more a bugbear.
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Found under: Palm, Freeware, Smartphone,



BellTime v1.2 is an alarm clock application for Palm handsets which will require Palm OS v5.0 to work. Need to wake up in the morning Want to be on time on your next meeting BellTime should take care of time monitoring for you. Depending on what version you get Full or Lite you have access to a customizable layout of 20 or 5 slots. You get to set up your analog clock and various alarms and there are even two slots reserved to digital clocks. You can set up daily weekly and single

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Found under: palm, freeware, alarm,



A new version of BellTime a multi-function alarm clock for Palm OS handhelds and smartphones is now available. New functions in BellTime 1.2 include bi-weekly alarm with seperate settings for each week period selected alarm alarm recurs x times a day improved tool selection with info install or cancel toggle between time and countdown by tapping the Next Alarm bar display the day of the week in the header among others. Some bugs found in the previous 1.1 version have of co

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Found under: Symbian 60, software,



Epocware has released a new version of its Handy Alarm Pro app that will make it virtually impossible for Symbian 60-based smartphone users to ever miss an alarm or reminder. The new Handy Alarm Pro gives users up to six alarm types and five reminders to choose from among other improvements. It also features flexibility in configuring the app covering practically all possible needs of users. Handy Alarm Pro provides user-friendly interface with intuitive control making multi

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Section: Peripherals, Storage, Features, Contests

It’s Black Friday, you slept through your alarm, and are now scouring the web for the leftover deals (ie. non HD LCD TVs).  Well why not sit back, relax, and enter to win some free drives from Seagate?  Whether you give them away to your mother-in-law as a present or keep them for your movie collection, nothing beats free.

Winners will get their choice of either a FreeAgent Desk 1TB or FreeAgent Desk for Mac 1TB as well as a 500GB FreeAgent Go or 500GB FreeAgent Go for Mac portable drive.  The FreeAgent Go for Mac has FireWire 800 and USB ports comes in a silver and white design.  It matches the look and feel of a MacBook.  The FreeAgentGo (non Mac) is much slimmer and comes in Red, Forest Green, Sky Blue, Tuxedo Black and Silver.

For a chance to win all you need to do to is answer following questions in the comment form at the bottom of this article:

What do you have on your computer that you could not live without, if you lost it?

Only one entry per person.  Entry valid by answering the required question as well as leaving your email address in the comment form.  We’ll pick a random winner from all the entries received by 11:59PT on Friday December 6. Click here for the full list of Dabbledoo contest rules.

You can also enter to win one of the ten hard drive bundles at these sites once they post their rules:

1. CrunchGear
2. Bleeping Computer
3. GottaBeMobile
4. GeeksToGo
5. PlanetAMD64
6. Notebooks
7. Paulstamatiou
8. Macenstein
9. Digital Home Thoughts

Full Story » | Written by Adam Berger for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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With some of my family overseas, Skype and iChat have become important tools for voice communication, second only to the cell phone and face to face protocol. It occurred to me that outside of telemarketers and the very occasional late-night pizza dial, the land line has become a relatively unused service. Unused, yet a consistent and not insubstantial monthly bill.

With thoughts of finally ditching the land line, but still a bit resistant to going completely phoneless in the home (what about when my cell battery dies?), I came across an article in Linux Journal by Andrew Sheppard, author of Skype Hacks, that shows you how to reconfigure your home telephone system to be completely routed through a server running Skype and Linux.

My solution was to build a Skype server that provides 24/7 phone service with the minimum of hassle and fuss. By dumping your regular phone company and taking back control of your home phone wiring using a Skype server, you will have not only a phone system with nearly the same capabilities as before--indeed, in some ways better--you will also save a bundle of money! In my case, I save a little less than $700 US each year (this year, next year, and the year after that, and so on), or about 82% off of my old phone bill.

Using a Skype server plugged in to the existing copper phone wiring of your home means that you can lift a receiver anywhere in your home, at any time, and get a regular dial tone. Incoming calls either from Skype users or regular phones ring all handsets throughout your home. Basically, you can make Skype behave like a regular phone line, but at a tiny fraction of the cost.

There are some big benefits to switching to a Skype server. It's likely a lot cheaper and if you're a regular Skype user, you can now use the service with any handset in the house instead of sitting at your computer.

There are also some downsides. The phone system still remains one of the most reliable services. It's more likely that I'll lose electricity than I won't have a dial tone, which may be of some concern for fire and bugler alarm systems. You also wouldn't have 911 service in this scenario, but if you have a cell phone anyway, this may be a moot point.

What are the rest of you hackers doing for phone service these days? Is it time to give up the land line entirely, simulate it with a Skype server or VoIP service, or are you still happily rocking the POTS? Give us a shout in the comments.

Build a Skype Server for Your Home Phone System
Andrew Sheppard's Skype Hacks - Tips & Tools for Cheap, Fun, Innovative Phone Service

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Section: Communications, Cellphones

When I say beast I do not mean in looks (like the iPhone), in functionality (like the G1) or low cost (like the Motorola Dyna 8000X).  I’m talking about the height of practicality, a phone designed to suffer the falls, scratches and splashes that your average Joe phone would break merely looking at.  This phone is not about looks, being small, or taking high resolution photos: it is the sort of phone you would expect to see on a building site, or on the top of a mountain.  Let me introduce the Sonim XP3.

It has a yellow and black color scheme: the yellow helping for visual purposes and the black being the substantial rubber edges that this phone boasts.  It has a reasonably large anti glare and shock resistant screen with large functional buttons, but only those that are necessary, with special care to make them durable and extra wide.

This phone is dust and micro-particle proof.  It will also operate under extreme thermal conditions, from -20 to +60 degrees centigrade which covers most of the temperatures that the world can throw at you.

Another major killer of phones is water, but the XP3 has no problems with water as it can withstand being submerged up to 1 meter in depth which eliminates the need for a cover on those mountain treks.  I think after water, the second biggest phone torment is drops and this phone can cope comfortably with drops onto concrete from up to 2 meters.

Other major practical features include the extra loud speakers designed to handle noisy environments (like waterfalls or nightclubs), an extra long battery life, and a 3 year unconditional guarantee, which is pretty long for a mobile phone.  Oh yeah, and it has an in built-in torch, making it the Swiss army knife of phones.

Regarding core functions, it still performs perfectly well.  It is Tri-band (so good for traveling) as well has having WAP and Bluetooth capabilities and the usual SMS/alarm/PC sync capabilities.  Optional extras include a secure looking belt clip, and an external antenna for when finding reception is really difficult.  All in all, this is quite an exceptional phone, and if you often find yourself hiking or mountaineering, then this is a must. 

It is the pinnacle of mountain technology combined with some (only slightly outdated) modern technology.  Yes, this won’t sell as well as any Nokia/BlackBerry/Apple phone, but it provides a real solution, and one that is valuable.

Product [Sonim]

Full Story » | Written by Christian Milsom for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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This hefty clock uses classic bells and binary display - and it knows where you are!

The case measures about 15×13x8 centimeters. The bells which I happened to have lying around are from a very old telephone and were the remains of my very first electronics project (which was about seven years ago).

The most remarkable feature of this alarm clock is the fact that it uses a microswitch mounted in my door to detect if I left my room. It can only be disabled when the door is open.

This thing could probably intimidate you to wakefulness - Ultimate Alarm Clock [via Hacked Gadgets]

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