Fun for the Fourth

It’s been raining everyday at my house for about the past week, which makes me very wary of the picnics and such planned for tomorrow’s Fourth of July celebration.  Tech to the rescue again it seems (for next year anyway).

Sega, beginning in the month of August, will release Uchiage Hanabi in Japan.  It’s a projector that puts on a fireworks show in your home on any wall or ceiling.  It comes with sound effects and programmed shows, but also with the option to design your own fireworks and make your own show.  It may start out in Japan, but we love our fireworks here in the US of A and tomorrow will showcase that.  I don’t doubt that projected fireworks will eventually reach our soil, and I don’t doubt that real fireworks, rain or shine, will be seen tomorrow night.

A Movie of Convenience

We all know and love Fandango.  We can buy tickets (most importantly) but also read reviews.  More popular review sites include Rotten Tomatoes (they’re usually pretty accurate in their ratings).  Now there’s a new site that goes one step further in its reviews.

Runpee.com doesn’t care if the movie’s great or not, it wants the experience to be enjoyable.  In that sense this site does something no one else does, they screen for the most appropriate times in any new releases to run to the bathroom.  They list both the time (how long the movie’s been running) as well as the line/scene you’re waiting for before you run out.  That’s right, sometimes with that extra large Pepsi there just isn’t a chance you’re gonna make it to the end.  But hey, you’ve checked Rotten Tomatoes and you know the movie’s good.  Well Runpee makes sure you only miss the less than necessary parts.  How convenient.

Laser Version

Laser tag remains a staple in the game department for every kid, it’s about time we saw another development in the at home version of the activity.

Spy Lazer Chase is laser tag meets Spiderman.  Forget dragging bulky plastic lasers around the house, all you need now is a wrist guard that fires when you clench your fist.  The set also keeps track of how many of your five lives remain while you play.  The set is about $30 (the best games usually include more than one set though, and thus more than two people).

This version doesn’t come with the average chest plate (usually part of the at home laser tag package) so hits will probably be a little more off and a little less accurate.  But it’s never really that accurate, cheating by covering the chest plate has always been a dominant part of the game too.

Playful Design

Nintendo is a Japanese video game company, so it makes sense that some of its most creative games would start off on the other side of the world.  Made in Ore is just such a game.

Made in Ore is a game for Nintendo Gameboy DS.  The game is especially cool because it’s not just a game you play it’s a game you create.  Ore lets you create any number of mini games, comics, and music you can then share them with friends, play them on the Wii, or upload them to Nintendo online.  Creativity is key in the gamin market and this doesn’t seem like a bad place for people to start.  Hey, whichever kid plays Ore and loves it may end up creating the next Halo or Guitar Hero in a couple years.  Unfortunately, at the moment, the game is only available in Japan.

Movie Mash

I love Youtube.  I love watching music videos full of clips of my favorite shows.  I like watching clip mashups, and I like seeing home made trailers.  Now Elgato has made it even easier for Mac users to create just such masterpieces with its video capture.

Video capture basically connects your computer to an analog video source and helps you convert video from your television to video on your computer (ready to use online, or on your ipod).  With these new files you can watch your favorite TV on the go or use it to create the next great online sensation.  It’s totally worth it for the advancement of online art.

Gaming’s New Hero

DJ Hero now has an actual design!  That’s right, we’ve seen Guitar Hero, we’ve seen Guitar Hero World Tour (where the whole band plays) and now we move from making music to mixing it.  It’s been presented and tried at the E3 conference.

The basic look follows the same “Hero” controller design as the guitar itself, with the well colored play buttons, though this time they are spaced across a turn table rather than the neck of a guitar.  The premise is primarily the same push the correct combination of buttons in time with screen.  I don’t know how action packed it will be, it won’t be the same as sliding across a fake stage on your knees with a fake guitar in your hands, but I like Guitar Hero enough I’m pretty excited to try this next edition, whenever it is released (the set is already up for pre order).

Wii’re in Motion

The Wii continues to revolutionize gaming in its own right.  Wii MotionPlus, released at the E3 media briefing is an accessory to that will make any Wiimote motions more accurate.  This means that in Wii Bowling you better be very careful how you flick your wrist.

The accessory is a small white block that attaches to the base of the Wiimote in the same port the nunchuck usually fits.  With the continued success of the Wii console, and its accessories, it’s nice to see this particular add on go directly back to basics.  The original draw of the Nintendo Wii was it’s one of a kind controller and game play, the Wii MotionPlus should simply enhance what we loved so much in the first place.

Light from Light

Lets save the planet one all nighter college student at a time.

Ikea has just released solar cell powered desk lamps.  With LED bulbs that lamps also claim to use 70% less energy than regular light bulbs (they also supposedly last 4 times as long, so there’s a little cash saved as well).  Everything’s all alternative energy these days but it makes much more sense to feed the masses with smaller steps.  Reworking the home office makes more immediate sense to people than rewiring the house with solar panels on the roof.  They come in five colors and are priced at a very economy conscious $19.99.

I like the idea, it can’t hurt plug/wire clutter even if you don’t care about the planet (think of all the extra counter space) you just better keep your desk by a window.

Mini and Mighty

USB drives were small enough before, but hey, gadgets are always evolving at a time where size still does matter.

Eagletec has developed pretty much the smallest flash drive yet at 19×15x16 mm.  It still holds between 4 and 8 GB (depending on how much cash you’re willing to put down).  The size is smaller but storage and pricing are still about on par with many other flash drives on the market today.

I’m definitely an advocate of the flash drive, I’m an advocate for multiple flash drives, but in spending so much time depending on one I know what problems arise when a normal flash drive is misplaces.  I don’t know how I feel about shrinking my most misplaces gadget any further, even if the Eagletec Nano does come with a lanyard.

Deliciously Musical

The new ipod shuffle is small and kind of lacking in Apple’s usual showy design department.  A small silver brick that you could lose just as easily as you can buy one.

While much has been said about the design and the problems related to the ipod shuffle the fact is the bland little baby opens itself up to the design creativity to everyone else outside of the apple network.  Chocoshuffle is just one such bit of designer brilliance.  The ipod case is just as delicious as the name makes it sound.  Basically you can dress your ipod as a lovely little piece of chocolate rather than as a sleek silver glob (this is much more cute).

The Chocoshuffle comes in dark chocolate, white chocolate, and strawberry chocolate.  Just remember, just because this makes the new ipod shuffle a bit more interesting it doesn’t make the thing any less easy to lose.