Crumpler is unusual. I first heard of the Australian company when it recently opened its New York store and offered bags in exchange for varying amounts of beer. I'll bet they're still drinking up.
Recently Crumpler sent me one of its camera bags, called the Bundle; it comes in green, red, blue, or black and sports the company's goofy-guy logo. The Bundle is made of nearly impervious nylon, it's well padded, and it's got lots of compartments for memory cards, cables, and whatever. I carried my bricklike Canon G6 around in it for days, and I like it just fine. The price for my size-large bag ($28) is reasonable.
So what's unusual about that? Take a look at the site's description of the bag: "That's a nice bundle you got there, girlyboy. But why's it look like a stork? You are one strange bird, you are feathered in some dusty places. But you are one bundle of joystick." Now, is that really necessary?
Newly launched electriccarhire.com will be the first company in London to offer electric cars for rent. Vehicles will be available to customers based inside the M25 motorway's orbital route surrounding London, for 325 English pounds a month.
Electriccarhire.com uses Italian-manufactured Sakura Maranello4 vehicles, which are recharged by plugging into a standard electric connection. London already has an increasing number of car parks with free charging facilities.
The Web site boasts that hiring an electric car is not only environmentally friendly, but also financially sound. This is because electric cars are not subject to the congestion charge that standard vehicles are subject to in London, and drivers will save up to 85 percent on fuel charges.
"We believe that as the public is becoming more and more concerned about environmental issues, now is the right time to launch this innovative service for London," said Managing director, James Tucker. "By using these cars, customers can help save the planet and at the same time save themselves money."
Last week, I was lucky enough to attend Pop!Tech in Camden, Maine: three days of conferences examining the intersection of technology and culture. It is a little like TED, or so I am told. I was never invited to, or could afford to pay for, a conference like TED. Still, Pop!Tech was chock full of smart people giving extraordinary presentations. The theme of the conference was "dangerous ideas," but speakers pretty much did what they wanted, and that was OK with me. From big ideas to huggable gadgets, here are some of the highlights.
Based in Shenzhen, China, a company called Chinavasion Wholesale Co has released the MP4 Player Watch, which promises to play all your favorite MP4 video files, right on your wrist. If video isn't enough, the MP4 watch also plays MP3 and WMA files so you can listen to music, and supports JPEG so you can view your family pictures too.
The MP4 Watch offers internal flash memory of 256MB to 2GB and can play music continuously for 8 hours. The company hasn't give information on video-playback battery life. The screen measures 1.5 inches, has 260k OLED true color, and offers 128 by 128 resolution. Chinavasion also added five equalizer modes and super-bass 3-D sound effect playing modes to maximize sound quality.
Sounds amazing, but as of now, Chinavision is offering the watches only at wholesale. Each costs from $59.46 to about $101.20, depending on the storage.--Don Reisinger
I used to moan about my Mom's slightly overprotective nature. Now that I have childcare responsibilities of my own, I can understand her concerns. Thankfully we have more technology available to alleviate those fears.
With its Dick Tracy watch aesthetic, the OnGuard Kids Personal Safety Alert could be a great help in protecting children. Say your child is approached by a stranger, lost in a mall, injured, or antagonized by a bully: It has a 110-decibel emergency alarm that kids can activate, to let everyone in the area know that they need help. In addition to the alarm system, the device comes with a snap-on flashlight and interchangeable faceplates (there are two skews for boys and two for girls).
Empowering the children who wear the Alert plays a large part in increasing the effectiveness of the safety alert system. Kids needs to be proficient in using the alarm, because its use would be their responsibility. Included in every package is a DVD that teaches the child how to use the watch. In an effort to make it appealing to kids, OnGuard built the alarm system into a series of funky wrist watches in different styles for boys and girls.
A possible downside to On Guard Kids is whether your pre-teen would find it cool enough to wear consistently. The interchangeable faceplates can be fun, but in a world where sleek cell phones and modern tech toys are being offered to kids at increasingly younger ages, the Alert watch may be a tough sell. But the good news for parents is that it's just $39.95 at the OnGuard Kids site.--Andre Bermudez
BMWs of this decade have been a lightning rod for style criticism, in the wake of the "Chris Bangle butt" (the bulky rear end apparently modeled after Shaquille O'Neal's ample backside and named after BMW's famous designer), the "eyebrow" running lights over the headlights, and the "angel eyes" (lighted corona rings) around the headlights. Much of that criticism has muted, though, as buyers have gotten used to the idea that styles do change.
Now BMW is showing a sense of humor in its interior styling for the new X5. Note the steering wheel's shiny trim piece that's a dead ringer for Mister Smiley, and the gearshift lever that would be equally at home dispensing a liter of Munich's finest wheat beer.
Are you a Star Wars fan? Or maybe you're a mimobot fan? Whichever way you swing, you can have the best of both worlds with Mimoco's latest series of USB flash drives: Star Wars!!
Darth Vader kicked off the mimobot Star Wars series. There will only be 3,500 of these up for grabs, so you better preorder one (or ten) now! The first 500 preorders will also receive a collectable Darth Vader button on backing card.
Chewbacca is the second mimobot to hit the series, with a production of only 2,500.
Each Star Wars mimobot is available for preorder in 1GB ($79.95), 2GB ($119.95), and 4GB ($169.95) capacities and will come preloaded with Star Wars content such as trailers, soundbites, avatars, and wallpapers. They will officially arive on Planet Earth come January 2007.
Years ago, when Blogging Molly still lived with her parents, we had bats in the attic! I can still hear my mom screaming as one escaped and flew over her head, down the hallway, and into her bedroom. A few months later, I made an airplane out of black construction paper, threw it down the stairs and yelled "Mom! There's a bat in the house!" (Yes, evil I am) Anyway, Scarelog has found a higher tech way to scare my your mom, friends, and other family members. Hang the Flying Bat Prop somewhere in your house and let it flap its wings and fly around the room. (You can also use it outside, presumably hanging from a tree.) The bat attaches to ceiling with three screws and an invisible line. He's powered by two AA batteries and has an on/off switch. Sells for $12.99 at Frightshop.com.
Another spooky must have for your haunted house is the Mini Mist Fogger. Dry ice can be messy and a bit hard to find, this device makes creating fog a little easier. You just put the diffuser (from which the fog rises) into a few inches of water, plug it in, and the fog will immediately start rolling in. Not only is it a great decoration and mood setter, it also acts as a humidifier and will keep exotic plants watered. Scary and practical! The Fogger also includes a splash guard and mist regulator. Fancy! Get it for $39.99 at Cool Stuff Cheap.
Have you heard of the Jersey Devil? No, not the hockey team. We're talkin' 'bout a really devil here! According the legend (one of many), there was a child born in New Jersey in the 18th century. He was the 13th child of a very tired woman who said "let the devil take him." It was an offer the devil couldn't refuse, and the devilish child haunts New Jersey to this day! What he looks like is much disputed--a bat, a rat, a kangaroo? Have you seen the Jersey Devil? Tell us about it!--Blogging Molly
Crumpler is unusual. I first heard of the Australian company when it recently opened its New York store and offered bags in exchange for 
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Last week, I was lucky enough to attend 
Based in Shenzhen, China, a company called Chinavasion Wholesale Co has released the MP4 Player Watch, which promises to play all your favorite MP4 video files, right on your wrist. If video isn't enough, the MP4 watch also plays MP3 and WMA files so you can listen to music, and supports JPEG so you can view your family pictures too.
I used to moan about my Mom's slightly overprotective nature. Now that I have childcare responsibilities of my own, I can understand her concerns. Thankfully we have more technology available to alleviate those fears.
Are you a Star Wars fan? Or maybe you're a mimobot fan? Whichever way you swing, you can have the best of both worlds with Mimoco's latest series of USB flash drives: Star Wars!!
Years ago, when Blogging Molly still lived with her parents, we had bats in the attic! I can still hear my mom screaming as one escaped and flew over her head, down the hallway, and into her bedroom. A few months later, I made an airplane out of black construction paper, threw it down the stairs and yelled "Mom! There's a bat in the house!" (Yes, evil I am) Anyway, Scarelog has found a higher tech way to scare my your mom, friends, and other family members. Hang the 
