Loyd Case at ExtremeTech has written an excellent article about a topic that occasionally drives me wild: Noisy personal computers. He offers advice for quieting your existing computer, but being ExtremeTech, he says that if you want silence (or something approaching it) you need to build from scratch. Or buy a Mac, I suppose, some of which are the quietest off-the-shelf computers I've run into.

Here's a product that I don't claim to understand, having grown up around mixing devices that were anything but handheld. Still, I know people who really like the StikAx and want to offer it as a last-minute gift idea. Here's how Doug Kohl, an old friend who does the company's PR, describes the product:

"The iPod generation has arrived and it's not content with simply sharing static music and video any longer. The convergence of new affordable hand-held interactive music, video, and digital photography mixing technology has created a new reality. StikAx is a USB hand-held interactive music, video and digital photography mixing device that combines with the bundled TrakAx digital editing and special effects desktop software, to turn your PC into a virtual basement mixing studio. Finally remixing music, video and machinima movies is fun and easy.

"StikAx comes with TrakAx mixing software, and over 450 loops and tracks to get you started creating your own music, and music videos, that can be shared over a multitude of media players. StikAx is sold at Barnesandnoble.com, EB Games, Gamestop, J& R Computers, Micro Center , and Amazon.com and also available on-line at www.stikaxusa.com. Street price $99."

Here's what PC Magazine had to say:

"This hardware/software package places ten buttons and a light-beam switch in your hands, so you can be an audio/video DJ, on the fly. Program each button to play loops when pressed or released; some buttons modulate others. You create loops with the included TrakAx audio and video editing suite, from your own material or the included Vinyl Call clip library for a multimedia mash-up. StikAx is fun for a budding DJ, though pros will want more real-time control, and the price is surprisingly low."
 

Yes, the Scott eVest ($279, as shown, direct) people promise they can still get you one delivered in time for Christmas. But, I won't be getting one. Chosen as PC Mag's gift-of-the-day for today, these James Bond-meets-Maxwell Smart garments have up to 52 pockets as well as channels for the wiring to run from pocket to pocket to collar (for earpieces). I've been looking at these jackets for years, vaguely lusting for one, but always knowing that I'm not the sort of self-contained guy these jackets are designed for. Nor am I a Secret Service agent, talking into my lapel or my cuff links.

I am happy to carry a briefcase or an Eagle Creek bag in some parts of my life. I have a 5.11 Tactical vest and a Domke photographer's vest that I use (though not very often). I have a Jansport shoulder bag (discontinued) that was designed for birding and is very handy for carrying binoculars and field guides. There's the Hawke EMT fanny pack and the day-glo green EMT rain jacket and the radio chest harness. I also have an Ex Officio travel jacket that has enough pockets that I manage to lose things that I can still hear rattling around inside the jacket. Just imagine what I could lose if I had Scott's 52 pockets, one of which is large enough to hold a laptop? Isn't that when you go to a backpack--of which I have three, come to think about it.

I was going to say I never asked for a Scott eVest for Christmas because I never considered myself geeky enough to wear one with the appropriate panache. Having just added up all the jackets and bags that I already own, I realize that I have the geeky thing down pretty well. Of course, it's not like I use these all the time and my wife keeps telling me I should just pick one tp use as a purse and be done with it. Of course, any single bag won't hold all my stuff, but maybe if I had 52 pockets? Nah, the jacket would be so heavy I wouldn't be able to stand up. Good I don't want one, huh?

I traveled from New York to DC yesterday to check out Cingular's new HSDPA network (high speed data packet access - in English, mobile broadband).

I'm still analyzing my results, but the big surprise on my trip wasn't from Cingular. Quietly, Sprint has been turning on a massive amount of its own mobile broadband, called EV-DO. I got consistent Sprint high-speed signal almost all the way from New York to DC. And looking at Sprint's coverage maps, they've been awfully busy this fall turning on high-speed everywhere from Frankfort, IN to Norman, OK.

Super-duper luscious laptop broadband connections probably aren't the main driver for Sprint's big buildout. Rather, they're promoting Sprint Power Vision, their excellent set of streaming audio and video content that you can get on their phones. SPV requires EV-DO.

But Sprint's buildout makes them a much better competitor to Verizon in the mobile broadband stakes. Both carriers are charging $59.99/month for unlimited use, and both networks should be about the same speed.

So: if you stumble upon my previous review of Sprint's EV-DO service, ignore it. I'm rewriting.

SUV = bad for the environment, right? Not necessarily; if you must have one, you could do worse than this hybrid from Mercury (just reviewed at TechnoRide). Costing ($29,840 to $34,220, it gets 30 mpg, not bad at all. Even though the list of cons is longer than the pros, Bill Howard still awards the Mariner a score of 3 out of 5.

It's a decent-looking vehicle, but I was surprised to read about the lack of available colors (I know, it's girly, but a car's color is an important factor to me!) -- just red, two shades of silver, black, and beige, and there is exactly one color for the interior: "pebble," a kind of gray-beige. Another downside is a tiny navigation LCD. Still, if you need the room and still want to be environmentally responsible, this is worth checking out.

The Pet Master is for serious pet owners. This handy device gives you information on choosing the right puppy or kitten for your home, as well as nutritional facts, exercise tips, behavioral solutions, and keeps tracks of Vet appointments.

My mom's boss is a dog fanatic. She takes him to dog shows around the country, and pampers it all of the time. Something like this would be perfect for her, although I can never see myself using it (I'm not that obsessive about my cat). Still, if you own several pets, the Pet Master could come in handy.

According to the vendor site, the Pet Master features:

• An alarm to remind you of vet appointments/medication schedules
• Stores phone numbers of favorite vets, pet-sitters, groomers, etc.
• A built-in shopping list for pet care
• Pet-friendly hotels
• After hours emergency contact numbers

Purchase it at ThePet Master.com Store and receive 15% off! Also, each sale will be donated to an animal charity.

[Found via Shiny Shiny]

Here's a statistic sure to brighten your holiday season: Of the groups people most likely to perform CPR on an unconscious person, random bystanders rank first and family members last. The study I saw doesn't say why this is and I will keep my thoughts to myself--I am a family member who did CPR. It didn't save the patient, but that is sadly typical.

The American Heart Association wants to change this by teaching CPR to more family members and by improving the CPR they perform. AHA has created a new CPR training resource called CPR Anytime for Family and Friends, that promises to teach CPR in as little as 22 minutes. The $29.95 kit is sold direct and includes a DVD, booklet, and an inflatable CPR mannequin. It's a heck of a deal, considering what CPR classes sometimes cost. You can reuse the kit to keep your skills current and one kit can train and entire family or other small group.

Big News: AHA has changed how CPR should be performed, putting more emphasis on chest compressions, less on ventilating the patient, and will no longer ask non-medical rescuers to perform a pulse check before starting CPR. Quality of compressions is also being spotlighted, since most people don't press hard enough or provide enough compressions per minute. These new standards could double survival rate (currently about 6 percent) for those suffering cardiac arrest outside a hospital. Top line: Single-rescuer adult and child compressions now 30-per-minute, up from 15, followed by two breaths.

BTW: If you think you might actually have to perform CPR on a family member someday, buy the person an Automatic External Defibrillator for Christmas. Used with CPR and available right now, an AED dramatically improves a patient's chance for survival.

As everyone in the New York City area is all too painfully aware, our city transit workers are on strike: all bus and subway service has shut down. Argh. I've been watching the nonstop TV coverage of the strike, and I'm not hearing anything to indicate this'll end any time soon.

So what's the good news? Well, a couple days ago, Bill Howard reported on TechnoRide that New York is adding 825 DaimlerChrysler Orion VII hybrid buses to its fleet through 2007, meaning that "more than a quarter of New York's 4,500 buses will be reduced-emission vehicles." In this congested city, we need all the clean air we can get; I hope lots of other cities will follow suit soon. Take a look at the article for all the juicy technical details, and bookmark it if you're interested in technology and cars; you'll find car reviews, news, opinions, and more.