One World One Music

So, I’ve been watching the Olympics pretty religiously since they began some ten days ago and I’ve enjoyed every minute.  From our dominant softball team, to the trials of our runners, to the incredible eight finals of Michael Phelps.  In the spirit of the Olympic games I present the following.

The Olympic Stadium MP3 player.  It’s shaped like the classic Bird’s Nest of Beijing I’ve come to know and love and has the running character that is the Olympic logo on the bottom.  Priced at $19.20 I don’t know what sort of quality you’re buying in a music player, but this souvenir looks to be just that, a memento of the twenty ninth Olympic games.

It’s not clear whether the this MP3 player is officially licensed (though I’d guess not) but that doesn’t hurt it’s style.  It looks like the stadium and that’s what counts.  Now I just wonder what the screaming of 91,000 spectators would sound like through a set of ear phones.

Speaking of Speakers

Ipod accessories are everywhere, but the most useful remain those related to playing music.  Specifically, I mean speakers.

Using the USB charger to play an ipod through iTunes still works, but there are perks to a separate set of speakers.  I like the extra mobility a set of iGroove or a Bose sounddock can give me.  (Even with a laptop I’ve got too many extras plugged in to make on the go music incredibly convenient on a day to day basis.)  Speakers can come with their own extras as well.

The most common speaker/dock I’ve seen at college is the ihome.  The ihome can blast ipod tunes as well the radio (on certain models anyway) and, it tells time! What’s more convenient than a pair of speakers that not only charge your ipod but can get you ready for classes as well?  I know it’s hard enough to get up in the morning you might as well have whatever it is that wakes you be as cheerful as possible.  With the ihome you can set the tune (or tone) you want to go off as your alarm the next day.

The ihome, iGroove, and sounddock all charge the ipod as they play (which means your ipod is always ready to go even after a loud night of blasting party tunes).  Charging is definitely an important part of most portable speakers, though not a necessity.

Another versatile option is a set of simple external computer speakers.  Not only can they up the sound of iTunes but most sets can also be plugged directly into the headphone jack of an ipod or MP3 player.  External speakers are my favorite because they also enhance my laptop DVD viewing experience as an added bonus.  Whatever you want to get out of your speakers there is an option.

Software for Security

It’s that time of year, where many of us are heading back to the college dorm or out there for the first time.  There are a lot of questions about room size, and roommate personality, food, safety, etc. etc.  While there’s not much one can do about problems such as food or personality, when it comes to computer worries technology usually has an answer.

For anyone paranoid enough about the safety of their material on a Mac there is the Rohos Logon Key.  When you fear that password login is not enough to keep your excellent Shakespeare paper from plagiarizing eyes just grab a USB drive and the Rohos software and no amount of password guessing or stealing counts for anything.

The concept is simple, plug your USB flash drive in to “unlock” your Mac and unplug it to reapply the locked safety feature.  Like any key (car included) the system’s not full proof, but the idea is solid.  And, with so many other college unknowns, a jumpy freshman may find extra computer security makes the rest of the world of higher education seem a little more secure too.

Music Class

It’s almost back to school time and it seems some kids in the UK won’t have to worry about boredom as much as the rest of us.

As simple as its become to sneak music into the classroom it looks like Marks and Spencer is making it even easier with ipod enabled jackets.  Sure we’ve seen clothing specially designed with ipod pockets before, but not in school uniform style.  The jackets claim to “securely contain ipods and neatly conceal wires for music on the move” or music in class.

I like the jackets, uniforms are definitely an untapped market where tech is concerned.  I just don’t know how many educators are going to appreciate the promotion of “concealed wires” in a specified school setting.

Power Problems

The biggest problem with a college dorm room is space (I can tell you that from experience).  There’s hardly enough room for two people, none the less two people and all of their stuff.  So simple space saving ideas are a must.  Under bed storage containers, extra drawers, and a lot of hangers can at least keep things off the floor (mostly).  But what about stuff that has to go on the floor?  What about stuff that can’t go but one place, next to an outlet?

You’d be surprised hoe many options there are now to fight the outlet problem in the world today.  Power strips are no loner just compact white extensions of the outlet itself but wonders of innovation in their own right.

I own (and packed) the power squid, a wondrous invention that let me both power all of my electronics while being able to maneuver them around floor lamps and shoes.  It’s named because of the way it looks, like a squid, each extra socket is separate from every other socket by an extra extension of personal cord.  May I also add that this separation on the squid means no plug, no matter how large, blocks any other outlet?

Socket sense is another power strip/surge protector that allows you to utilize all six of the extender outlets by sliding apart to make more space for each individual plug.  Like the squid it opens up a whole new world of possibilities where chargers and extension cords are concerned.

Not to peg college as nothing more than cramped quarters your power strip can also say a little bit about you.  The Belkin Conserve is a way for the energy conscious to still optimize limited space.  Not only does it extend the number of outlets from the wall, it can also cut direct power to six of the eight devices it can feed.  That’s important in the sense that most devices don’t actually ever turn “off” when you flip a switch they just go to sleep, and still suck energy.

I know I need as many outlets as possible no matter the space I’m in, so I’m glad there are options.  The problem once you’re settled in is whether or not you’re willing to share those extra power strip provided options with a complete stranger who you don’t know you’ll ever like.

Scaling Back

With new airline packing restrictions and the onset of college travel season looming the digital luggage scale couldn’t appeal to a more desperate market.

I remember scavenging for a bathroom scale in an already deserted dorm last year and this year, for trips home, that may not be an issue.  The digital luggage scale is travel sized and simple to use.  By strapping the scale to any suitcase you can lift up to 100 lbs by the handle of the scale and get a digital reading when your weight lifting is through.  Since 100 lbs is definitely over all air line limits the scale limit itself shouldn’t be an issue.

With payments for everything from a single checked bag to in air headsets the last thing anyone wants is an extra charge for an overweight bag.  Traveling is stressful enough, not being fully prepared by the time you get to the check in counter is pure laziness.  Now it looks like even we space strapped college students will have a way to prepare our own bags.  At a mere $22 the scale’s potential “outweighs” any price tag.

Olympic Spirit

Today is the opening of the Beijing Summer Olympics.  The Olympics is the only event of its kind on the global calendar and once again the world has gathered to celebrate it.  This year, more so than almost any year before it, even the parts of the world that couldn’t get to the host country have unprecedented access.

Let us begin with the basics.  NBC’s coverage of the games and the culture within China will saturate its regular programming for much of the foreseeable future.  From the Today show in China to tonight’s broadcast of the opening ceremony TV will be especially sports centered.  NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, and other affiliate networks will present the most coverage ever (and a lot of HD options).  Let us not forget that as the games have grown over the years so have the means by which we access them.

For the first time NBC will stream complete coverage of the Olympic games online.  There’s even a Wiki article on how to utilize internet access despite certain site restrictions.

Even tickets to this years game have gone high tech!  Radio frequency identification technology within tickets will help (primarily) to deter counterfeits.

It will be interesting to see how much extra coverage gets through (cultural and otherwise) due to the on going news of China restricting media access beyond events.  Yet, the fact remains, though the news getting through may be of the Olympic events alone, there will be quite a few hours to broadcast.

Fashion Flaw

I’m all about convenience, it’s part of the reason technology as a complete concept appeals to me, but that doesn’t mean there are not a few missteps on the road to utility bliss.

For an example I’d just like to bring up the Lisco .  It’s a design right now.  It’s a USB cable as jewelry, functional jewelry.  Now I’m not writing off the concept, I like the concept.  Having a USB cord when you need it is convenient and a simple bracelet can have broad appeal (see Livestrong) but design here feels a bit off.  It looks like a cuff almost.  The simplicity is good but when the USB sticks out both ends of the band it seems a little less than trendy.  Most USB flash drives come with caps for a reason.  Taking a cue from the already portable flash drive might be an improvement.

I don’t see the tech jewelry market taking off any time too soon, but the brilliance is out there.  The cell phone is very much its own accessory already so the mesh between the technologically practical and the fashionably designed is on its way.

Galactic Roundup

It has been another big week for our universe.  From the unveiling of one space touring ship to a total solar eclipse things have been crazy.

Lets work our way up shall we?  This week Virgin Galactic unveiled its White Knight Two, the aircraft that will carry Space Ship Two in the first stage of Virgin Galactic’s sub orbital touring experience.  It’s a big step in the ever evolving field of space tourism.

Second, a complete solar eclipse is making its rounds about the earth today.  Unfortunately it won’t be visible in the United States, but Canada, China, and Russia are a few countries that will get to see the eclipse play out.

And finally, this weeks greatest space inspired news, water has been found on Mars.  Ice has been rumored on the planet, we’ve even seen photos, info has been trickling in since May, but NASA officially announced that the Phoenix lander had grabbed and sampled honest to God H2O yesterday.  Now how cool is that?

The Apple of My Eye

In light of my recent complaint about commercials I’ve decided to present other options I’ve discovered, so today, Apple TV.  I’ll be honest I wasn’t very impressed by reviews when the skinny little box was released in 2007 (but the one at my house wasn’t even opened until after the “Take Two” upgrade came out).  All I can say is, the upgrade made me into a believer.

Lets be clear, the movie selection, like on iTunes, isn’t infinite (but neither are the choices at my local blockbuster).  The fact is, with Apple TV, it’s not just about renting movies.  There are a plethora of rental options available today beyond Apple TV including: on demand TV channels, and Netflix delivery.  What I enjoy about Apple TV are the trailer and Youtube options.  I’m a sucker for youtube videos, cartoons, comedy, and home grown music parodies.   I also worship movie trailers, I can’t go to the movies late, if we miss the previews the experience is ruined.  Watching trailers online is one way I keep track of the entertainment world.  Let me tell you, watching the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer in HD on a screen larger than fourteen inches was fantastic, add to that the recently released Watchmen trailer and I’m in preview heaven.

It has a price tag, but so do all Apple products.  For the questions that still remain about content, features, and other limitations, maybe waiting for Apple TV “Take Three” would be a good option.