While the mix of nature and speakers isn’t something new (check the Tree Stump) there are still lots of options related to which materials to use when creating speakers. And since originality counts a great deal, the new kind of sound systems uses gourd – a dried shell of a fruit in the Cucurbitaceae family of plants – to create a unique gadget.
One good thing about the Gourd Shaped Speakers is that the final result is never the same, there are changes on the shape and color of each plant.
Each speaker has a 2.3-inch diameter full-range driver, sealed tightly into the body of the hollowed out fruit.
Price: $146
[via technabob]
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Here are some interesting Christmas stats, facts and trivia you can share with family and friends while trying to work off that turkey. Enjoy.
What percentage of mall Santa applicants were discovered to have criminal backgrounds by Pre-emply.com?
7%
Approximate amount generated by photographs with Santa in shopping malls in the USA in dollars:
$2,255,750,000
How many Houses must Santa visit on Christmas?
842,000,000
How fast must he travel to visit all those homes?
4,796,250 Mph
Percentage of Americans who believe Santa in the off-season drives a sports car:
4%
drives an SUV:
25%
How many presents would you receive if you were to get every present in “The 12 Days of Christmas”?
364
How much would all those gifts cost? (according to PNC Financial Services)
$18348.87
How much did it cost to produce the very exciting 90 min version of “The Original Video Fireplace”?
$12
if you are looking for a version for your iPod you will find it here
How many times per minute are Visa cards swiped in the US between Thanksgiving and Christmas?
5340
How many Barbie dolls are sold every minute around the world?
180
Percentage of Americans who wear Christmas theme clothing during the holiday season?
50%
How much trash is generated annually from the gift wrap and shopping bags:
4,000,000 Tons
Which year was Christmas lights introduced?
1895
This is just a small sample of Seasonal Stats that are in a book that I received as a Stocking Stuffer by the name of The Chrismas List; A Holly, Jolly Treasury of Seasonal Stats
filed under Christmas
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The Holidays. Egg Nog, Ginger Bread Houses and Deep Fried Turkey. If you Deep Fry your bird and would rather have Santa visit the house instead of the local fire department may I recommend the Masterbuilt Turk’N'Surf.
First off, it’s electric making it a safer alternative to the open flame propane setup. It can fry a 14-pound turkey quickly, has an automatic temperature control to prevent overheating and a drain for the oil. Price:$150
If you are still interested in deep frying Turkey with open flame check this out
via Gear Factor
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The new iPod was announced October 12,2005 at the “One more thing” press event. I have yet to remember a product launch that had more hype and buzz then this one. It is safe to say that the marketing dept at Apple know how to get the word out. Getting the word out on the product is one thing but how did the new iPod with video capabilities do in the hands of critics is another. Here is a list of reviews from across the web.
cnet.com
The new Apple iPod looks like an instant classic, thanks to its amazing form factor and ability to play video. Sure, portable video’s been around, but Apple’s ecosystem–which seamlessly blends the hardware (iPod) with software and content (iTunes)–makes video suddenly possible.
pcmag.com
It’s the same excellent music player, but with the added bonuses of video support, audio recording capabilities, and enhanced audio quality.
Score:5/5 Editors’ Choice
pcworld.com
The new iPod adds video capabilities, but its great-looking screen is a bit too small for extending viewing.
Score:4.5/5
arstechnica.com
from my perspective as an owner of a 4G 40GB iPod, I’m not so sure I’d move to a 30GB model just because of the video output capabilities and the few new applications. The case of the device is nice and attractive, to be sure, but I’ve never really had any issues with the thicker 40GB model I carry almost every day.
Score:8/10
ilounge.com
Like every iPod that has come before, this “iPod with video” is a surprisingly enthralling digital music player, somehow physically smaller than you’d imagined, better feeling in your hand, and just plain cooler than the sum of its features.
designtechnica.com
For basically the same price as the previous model, you are getting a slimmer player with longer battery life and video capabilities; and if you ask us that”s a pretty sweet deal.
Score: 8/10
nytimes.com
All the debate about “Will anyone buy a video iPod?” is suddenly moot, because the new model is the same excellent music player plus video.
wsj.com
The new iPod is a handsome product that works well and is a good value. If you don’t expect too much from its video function, you will find it a nice bonus. But, for now, we urge you to think of it primarily as a music player, just as Steve Jobs does.
playlistmag.com
Unless you own a computer that doesn”t have a USB 2.0 port, it”s hard not to like this iPod. Even if you never use its video capabilities, you should be pleased with its sleek design, crisp display, intuitive interface, reasonable battery life, and the myriad wonders we”ve come to expect from an iPod.
Score:4.5/5
engadget.com
The video iPod won”t disappoint. It feels slim and easy to hold even after two weeks spent with my nano.
Specs
Capacity: 30GB or 60GB hard drive
(which translates into 7,500 to 15,000 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format,
Holds up to 25,000 iPod-viewable photos,Holds over 1,000 (30GB) or 2,000 (60GB) videos)
Stores data via USB hard drive
Display
2.5 inch (diagonal) QVGA transflective, over 65,000-color liquid crystal display with white LED backlight
320 x 240 pixel resolution, .156-mm dot pitch
Audio
Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV
Video
Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 768 Kbps, 320 x 240, 30 frames per sec., Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 480 x 480, 30 frames per sec., Simple Profile with AAC-LC up to 160 Kbps, 48 KHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats
Power and battery
Built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery
Playback time (30GB model)
Music playback time: Up to 14 hours when fully charged
Photo slideshow with music viewing time: Up to 3 hours when fully charged
Video playback time: Up to 2 hours when fully charged
Playback time (60GB model)
Music playback time: Up to 20 hours when fully charged
Photo slideshow with music viewing time: Up to 4 hours when fully charged
Video playback time: Up to 3 hours when fully charged
Size and weight (30GB model)
Height: 4.1 inches
Width: 2.4 inches
Depth: 0.43 inches
Weight: 4.8 oz
Size and weight (60GB model)
Height: 4.1 inches
Width: 2.4 inches
Depth: 0.55 inches
Weight: 5.5 oz
Official Site
http://www.apple.com/ipod/ipod.html
filed under iPod
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Now when you are on the road you can look up a free hotspot quickly and easily right from your iPod. No, the iPod isn’t wi-fi enabled (yet). wiPod uses the Notes functionality of the iPod OS to store the database in an easy to use format.
[via Make: ]
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