Geekery

Her Majesty’s Geekest Service – the Pretec i-Disk Bulletproof USB Flash Drive

Posted on 23. Oct, 2009 by Jake.

I like to think of myself as one of the more hardcore geeks. I don’t just sit around writing the blog all day, you know. The rest of my time is spent doing top secret geek espionage work. I can’t tell you more, because then I’d have to kill you (using weapons that utilise the latest technology, of course).

Suffice to say that, sometimes, when I put a top secret file containing data that could save the world on my USB drive I get a little worried that said data will be destroyed when the enemy starts shooting at me. That’s why I for one am highly relieved to learn that a company called Pretec has develop the i-Disk Bulletproof USB Flash Drive.

The i-Disk is shielded in two layers of metal protection , which can seal water, fire and of course the impact of a bullet from damaging the circuit, allowing the i-Disk Bulletproof to boast the title of being the ‘world’s most rugged USB flash drive in the world’, admittedly not a category in which there is a large amount of competition. The drive’s capacity ranges from 32MB (a bit small to warrant all of the trouble they have gone to in order to protect it) to a more sensible 2 gigs.

According to Pretec’s website, the i-Disk Bulletproof also boasts the super-fast access speed of 20MB/s, and if that’s not fast enough for you they can custom design a 40MB/s version (making it not only the world’s most rugged flash drive but also it’s fastest) by special arrangement. And the i-Disk Bulletproof comes with security features including password protection, encryption, write protection and even the ability to allow it’s user to auto-execute pre-defined or user-defined files for identification purpose. Clearly, this a flash drive is better suited to Secret Agent 007.5 (Licence to Format) than to the average geek.

Which brings me to the iDisk Bulletproof Flash Drive’s greatest shortfall – it may be bullet, fire, water and heavy impact resistant, but it is still just as tiny as any other flash drive, which means that it isn’t resistant to getting lost. Which, if I were to come down to reality for a second, I would have to admit is the greatest threat any USB flash drive I have ever owned has faced.

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Gadget – The Swatch Infinity Concept Watch

Posted on 13. Oct, 2009 by Jake.

Once I had a Swatch watch. It was big and multi-coloured and analogue and I loved it with all my heart, because I thought it was cool even though, in retrospect, it probably wasn’t. This was before cell phones, back when one actually needed a watch and it wasn’t just a fashion statement. So although all my Swatch could do was tell the time (it didn’t tell me the date or the temperature or do my maths homework like a good digital watch could), I wore it day in and day out until the plastic strap gave in. I even got used to the surprisingly loud ticking noise it made.

So imagine my surprise in discovering that the kings of analogue, Swatch themselves, are busy developing something called the Infinity Concept Watch. It doesn’t tick. And it sure as hell doesn’t just lie around on your wrist telling the time all day. It has video, music, photo sharing and video recording. It doesn’t have bright cartoons on it or a plastic strap.

It looks like the watch of the future. The kind of thing a One World Government run by shape shifting lizards would force all its citizens to wear while they finish developing the microchip. And as much as I like technology, gadgets and gimmicks, a part of me thinks that Swatch have sold out with this one. Swatch is a brand that, to me, is synonymous with analogue. They shouldn’t try to be Apple. If this were the iWatch I’d understand. But Swatch, I expect less from you. All the same, I have to admit that if this were being developed by anyone else I’d be drooling over it.

The watch will have a removable face and a magnetic strap that attaches to the watch, which can be removed to be recharged. One of the gadget ten commandments, – though shalt not design things which attempt to do absolutely everything – has been ignored here. We’ll have to wait and see whether it manages to make up for this transgression by adequately fulfilling its multiple functions. While it functions as an MP3 player, mini-cinema and photo album, I see no evidence that the thing can actually tell time. That’s fine, we have cell phones for that.

I look forward to actually testing the Swatch Infinity Concept Watch out, but the thing is still in production and hasn’t yet reached the shops. And I’m guessing it will take even longer to reach South African shops. For now, like riding the Gautrain or, for that matter, real live members of the opposite sex, local geeks are just going to have to imagine what it’s like.

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Muji Cardboard Speakers

Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by Jake.

So, maybe you’re the kind of guy (or lady, or even lady guy) that likes to pump up the volume, but worries about the environment. Maybe, you want a product that Wired magazine describes “an audible expression of your defiance against rabid consumerism”. Or maybe you just like the idea of having collapsible speakers.

If any of the above appeals, try a set of Muji Cardboard speakers. They are lightweight and can be assembled in minutes. And, since you’ve been so good about saving the world, you don’t have to feel guilty if you decide to eat a nice big dolphin steak while listening to music on your new Leonardo di Caprio-friendly speakers.

The speakers are available from the New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and buying them could help you impress arty women who study at Lisof. I wonder if museums sell speakers as a matter of routine or only on special occasions. The speakers are made by a company called Muji, which means ‘no-name brand’ in Japanese.

According to the MoMa website, “Over the last 20 years, (Muji) has developed a worldwide following with a guiding philosophy that emphasizes innovative and simple materials, processes, and packaging. The resulting products are streamlined, environmentally friendly, and beautiful in their simplicity”.

The question is, though, can they pump the kif choons. Reviews show that the sound quality isn’t great. While it has loads of novelty appeal, it’s sound quality doesn’t seem able to compete with the likes of Bose (or even Cambridge). As one person commented underneath a review of the speakers “why buy recyclable junky speakers when you could buy high quality speakers that will be good enough you’ll want to keep them and not recycle them in the first place?” Well, because they’re hip, that’s why. Like my brother’s Alpha Romeo, their stylishness makes up for any lack of functionality.

They cost $38 and you can order them online.

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Gadget: Honey I Shrunk the Viliv S7 Netbook Tablet PC

Posted on 14. Sep, 2009 by Jake.

Do you find notebooks too clumsy and large? Perhaps, as if to prove the validity of seemingly lame 90s comedies, you were accidentally shrunk by your nerdy scientist father. If so, the Viliv S7 Netbook Tablet PC is for you.

So you may have gathered that the thing is tiny. The question, though, is whether or not it is useable. On paper it’s a cool little device. It has a high res 7 inch touchscreen, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities, it supports wireless broadband and has two USB ports and a mini USB jack. While it’s only 32 gigs, it has an SDHC slot allowing you to increase storage. With a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 CPU and 1GB of RAM it’s not the fastest of machines, but by netbook standards it’s competitive. It has a highly respectable eight hours of battery life.

The biggest issue I have with the machine is its mousing area, which is pathetically non-existant. If it weren’t for the touchscreen the machine would be unuseable, as its keyboard is also very hard to use, although at its size (it can pretty much fit in a big pocket) that’s hardly surprising. The touchscreen itself isn’t fantastic, though it is the easiest way of navigating around.

The machine is nice and useful though, with a 3-megapixel Webcam, plus headphone and mic jack, a VGA-out and dongle-reliant port for video. It seems to handle movies very well for its size. It’s a sexy little machine, but not too practical for South Africans.

Only the real tech-savvy can get hold of this machine in South Africa. While you can’t get the S7 in local stores (if I am wrong about this please let me know), you can order it online for roughly $800. Moerse expensive. And, while cute and stylish, as well as useful up to a point (though a standard notebook is far more powerful and easy to use), I can’t really say it’s worth it. Just like contrary to popular sex belief, there is such a thing as too big, contrary to popular tech belief there is such a thing as too small.

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Gadget-DJ Hero

Posted on 28. Aug, 2009 by Jake.

A few years ago, a company named Activision took the really simple game concept of pressing buttons in time to represent notes, added a really simple gadget – a controller shaped like a guitar – and created one of the most popular, most addictive games of all time. That game was Guitar Hero which has since spawned several sequels, added an array of instruments including a drum kit and a microphone and given rise to a series of imitators such as Rock Band.
Now, Activision is set to switch things up with the release of their latest game/gadget combo DJ Hero. And yes, it looks every bit as awesome as it sounds. Instead of a guitar-shaped controller, DJ Hero will ship with a panel featuring a mixing deck, cross fader, record platter and sample buttons.

The interface is similar to Guitar Hero, with players required to sample or scratch in time with a scrolling bar onscreen, while higher difficulty levels will introduce the cross fader into the game play, allowing players to mix tracks and experiment with a bit of freestyle skill.
One of the best things about the Guitar Hero games was seeing which tracks would be included on each new version. As the games grew in popularity, more and more artists were licensed for use in the game, with some even recording special versions of their tracks to be used exclusively in Guitar Hero.
DJ Hero is going one better, by tapping a host of superstar DJ’s to provide exclusive mixes for the game. So far, their roster includes DJ Shadow, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ AM and Grandmaster Flash and features tracks from the likes of Eminem, Jay-Z, MIA, Gorillaz, Gwen Stefani, Kid Cudi and the Beastie Boys. Sticking with the “anything goes” spirit of mashups and samples, game producers have said that the Guitar Hero controller will be compatible with certain tracks.

DJ Hero looks to be a bold step in a new direction, away from instrument-based simulation into an exciting new world of electronica. People who have played the game seem to be as excited by the music as by the gameplay and the game even features a jukebox mode to allow people to sit back and marvel at the mixes without having to get involved.
With the release of the first Guitar Hero, Activision basically invented the concept of party-gaming. Now, with DJ Hero, they look to be introducing a new element of innovation by letting players create their own content and have a great time doing it

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