David Eggers can now add time travel entrepreneur to his long list of literary and social accomplishments thanks to the Eco Park Time Travel Mart he recently opened in LA. Some of the humorous products available for purchase include: mammoth chunks, barbarian repellent, packets of shade and anti-robot fluid. More info after the break.
As with the other novelty stores in Eggers stable, the time travel mart will be used to support his non-profit 826 chain of tutoring and writing centers. If I lived in LA, I know that I would be a generous supporter. After all, how many places can you say “I want that yesterday” and get your wish? [Product Catalog and 826LA via io9 via Boing Boing Gadgets]
AppleInsider says Apple is “actively” poking Sony (as opposed to other BR manufacturers) for slot-loading Blu-ray drives for MacBook Pros—Apple supposedly even wanted to offer BR SuperDrives with the new Penryn-powered machines, but “quality issues” meant Sony could only deliver combo drives. Apple said shno thanks for now.
Reasonably, summer wouldn’t be a bad time to expect them to come through, especially with the even more efficient Montevina chipset to offset Blu-ray’s battery-killing nature. But, Apple’s official support for Blu-ray has been completely non-existent despite its exceedingly long rumor half-life.
On the other hand, Blu-ray’s victory logically means we’ll see them populating more computers in (sorta) short order, now that the risk of shipping machines with $300 drink holders is gone. [AppleInsider]
If you are ever confronted with a fire or carbon monoxide situation in your home, it goes without saying that you would want an alarm that will give you the best chance to escape. That having been said, the ONELink system from First Alert does just about everything outside of physically carrying you out of the building. Because they can be wirelessly networked (up to 16 units), when one of the devices goes off, they will all go off, giving you more time to take action no matter where you are in a building.
The ONELink can also give you verbal alerts that define whether you are dealing with smoke or carbon monoxide and where the problem is occurring in your home. They can even be tested and/or programmed using your standard television remote. As you might expect, the ONELink is a bit pricey at $99 a unit, but if they work as advertised, it may be a small price to pay. [Smarthome and First Alert via Gizmag]
Gadget addiction. It sounds stupid, but names like “Crackberry” exist for a reason. Think of all the shiny gadgets you own and ask yourself “could I do without?” More specifically, which gadget do you need more—a computer or a cellphone?
Cellphone makers like LG, Moto and Nokia are apparently laboring harder than ever over what we think about their phones (mostly not happy thoughts!). But guess what? Even with this newfound “concern” they still don’t get it. Here’s a couple of their ridiculous, out-of-touch ideas about how make us happy from a panel at MWC:
One panelist suggested that cellphone makers tap into consumers’ “neural networks”, while another said they should understand their subliminal needs.
WTF?
I actually know what a neural network is. But WTF does it have to do with making a phone that’s not crappy? This is all BS business-speak, and talking and thinking like that is why makers put out shitty, unintuitive phones. They should make a phone with how real people use phones in mind.
This “changed world” where “there is more relevance in what other consumers say than what the company is saying” isn’t a bad thing, though the article implies that’s how the handset makers feel. And as long as they feel that way, they’ll keep trying to push crap into people’s pockets. [NYT]
Need to unwind? The RelaxStyle Room Palette Effect lamp can transport you to a tranquil undersea world at the push of a button. The lamp projects light onto walls or ceilings that resemble undulating waves—giving users the feeling of being submerged in shallow water, looking up into the sunlight. You can even set a timer that will automatically shut the light show down after 120 minutes. That way you can blissfully set adrift into sleep and peacefully pee your pants in the middle of the night. Available for $69. [Japan Trend Shop via Crave via DVICE]
Fans of green technology will undoubtedly be glad to hear that MSI has developed a working concept design that utilizes Stirling Engine Theory to power a motherboard fan. Instead of conventional electricity, the fan will harvest heat emanating from the processor to function.
Interestingly enough, during a recent visit to their HQ in Taiwan, MSI told TweakTown that they “would probably end up adding the world’s first powerless air cooler to an Nvidia motherboard.” Nvidia? No wonder MSI boards suck. [TweakTown via Boing Boing Gadgets]
Oh sure, we’ve seen gadgets used as motivational tools before, but Sega Toys is apparently banking on you not being a hothead. Otherwise, you just might fling its Body Trainer headset from your dome as soon as you hear “please exercise a little bit harder” over your incessant panting. Nevertheless, those with oodles of self-control may actually benefit from having a personal trainer (of sorts) in their ear while working out, and by monitoring the wearer’s heartbeat via a sensor, it can blurt out messages at the appropriate time to help users through their session(s). Reportedly, this nifty exercise buddy is set to launch in Japan this April for ¥5,775 ($54), and while we’ve no idea if this thing is destined for US soil, we can definitely see it being used more so for its musical abilities and less for its steadfast encouragement.
Quite frankly, the traditional Jawbone headset is pretty stylish as is. Nevertheless, Yves Behar has somehow managed to make it even sexier with the creation of the Love To Talk family. This trio, which will reportedly be made available “in a very limited quantity,” consists of a gold Sweet Talk version, black Dirty Talk edition and white Trash Talk model. No word on a price nor where to actually find one outside of the totally shady black market, but feel free to take a closer look at each in the read link below.
Just when the members of the Blu-ray Disc Association were settling down to enjoy the fruits of victory, another challenger has entered the ring — oh wait, it’s just NME, makers of VMD, so it’s really more like “remained in the ring and basically ignored.” The company just issued a press release saying “All indications are that VMD can fill the void left by HD DVD,” and that “The way is now clear for VMD to be embraced by the industry.” We suppose that’s true — the Asian bootlegging industry really hasn’t weighed in with a format choice yet, has it? In any event, VMD players have apparently been shipping to the US for a month now, so all you HD DVD fans out there looking to back yet another losing horse can probably find one — start at the shadiest retailer you can think of, and then move downwards.
David Eggers can now add time travel entrepreneur to his long list of literary and social accomplishments thanks to the Eco Park Time Travel Mart he recently opened in LA. Some of the humorous products available for purchase include: mammoth chunks, barbarian repellent, packets of shade and anti-robot fluid. More info after the break.
AppleInsider says Apple is “actively” poking Sony (as opposed to other BR manufacturers) for slot-loading Blu-ray drives for MacBook Pros—Apple supposedly even wanted to offer BR SuperDrives with the 
If you are ever confronted with a fire or carbon monoxide situation in your home, it goes without saying that you would want an alarm that will give you the best chance to escape. That having been said, the ONELink system from First Alert does just about everything outside of physically carrying you out of the building. Because they can be wirelessly networked (up to 16 units), when one of the devices goes off, they will all go off, giving you more time to take action no matter where you are in a building.
Gadget addiction. It sounds stupid, but names like “Crackberry” exist for a reason. Think of all the shiny gadgets you own and ask yourself “could I do without?” More specifically, which gadget do you need more—a computer or a cellphone?
Cellphone makers like LG, Moto and Nokia are apparently laboring harder than ever over what we think about their phones (mostly not happy thoughts!). But guess what? Even with this newfound “concern” they still don’t get it. Here’s a couple of their ridiculous, out-of-touch ideas about how make us happy from a panel at 
Need to unwind? The RelaxStyle Room Palette Effect lamp can transport you to a tranquil undersea world at the push of a button. The lamp projects light onto walls or ceilings that resemble undulating waves—giving users the feeling of being submerged in shallow water, looking up into the sunlight. You can even set a timer that will automatically shut the light show down after 120 minutes. That way you can blissfully set adrift into sleep and peacefully pee your pants in the middle of the night. Available for $69. [
Fans of green technology will undoubtedly be glad to hear that MSI has developed a working concept design that utilizes Stirling Engine Theory to power a motherboard fan. Instead of conventional electricity, the fan will harvest heat emanating from the processor to function. 
