Via Amber Mac:

Leo tests Barbie’s laptop & we love the mash-up Podbop:
Pink screen of death
Originally uploaded by Global Hermit.Sean snapped some great shots once again while we were taping Call for Help.’ In this pic Leo is trying to figure out how to mod this Barbie laptop.

[snip]

Many thanks to Amber for sharing this photo of Leo using his real primary machine, a Barbie laptop. I think the pink is very flattering, Leo. ;)

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hardware, technology, Leo Laporte, AmberMac

Today, I got a chance to go and listen to the iPod Hi-Fi, the other produce we announced on the 28th. It sounds fantastic. It actually looks pretty cool, in person, as well. (I know a lot of people have differing opinions on the aesthetics of it, but that’s a taste thing… and yours doesn’t count here.) It’s also ridiculously easy to set-up, of course. The price-tag… well, let’s just say this thing has a limited target market, eh?

The cool thing, though, was that I got to go listen to them the same way that they were presented to the press on Tuesday. There were four rooms built inside two of our very large conference rooms (Garage I&II, for those in the know). These four rooms were completely furnished and set up to display how the products (the mini was also on display) could be set up in a bedroom, kitchen, living room and homeoffice. Serving suggestions, if you will.

The folks that put it together did a good job. There wasn’t a single hint of the old room(s) there. There was fresh carpeting, molding, yadda yadda yadda. The living room, complete with 36″ flat panel tv, couches, etc was much nicer than my real one. The kitchen? The kitchen was not only nicer than my kitchen, it was nicer than your kitchen.

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apple, hardware, technology, ipod

Based on Intel, single-processor and dual-processor chip versions.

—

So, this post serves two purposes. First, it’s a test of posting to my blog directly from a digg story. If you’re reading it, it worked. I’ll pop the champagne later.

Second, I just wanted to say I am SO happy we finally got the Intel Mac Mini out. I’ve been biting my tongue for weeks. This is the perfect machine to integrate into your home theater. Especially with FrontRow that supports bonjour sharing. It means the mini can be the “media center” Mac, without having to have all the data on it.

Of course, I think it will prove easier to subscribe to certain video podcasts (Diggnation, CommandN, MacBreak, French Maids, TikiBar, heh) ON the Mini itself, so they are always there and ready to go.

I’ll be getting one of these soon.

read more | digg story

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apple, macintosh, hardware, technology

Ok, the name sucks but I WANT ONE:

Philips’s iPronto TSi6400, the last remote you’ll never afford: We have no idea how they did it, but some crazy engineer at Philips found a way to outdo their previous efforts spent on the RC9800i remote—which we hear was dubbed by British Parliament as ‘The Remote to End All Remotes’. What we’re talking about here is the iPronto TSi6400, which features a color VGA resolution touchscreen, 400MHz Xscale CPU, 64MB flash memory and 64MB RAM, mic, headphone jack, stereo speakers, PC-card slot, 802.11b adapter, 8 nav buttons, 5 programmable buttons, rechargable li-ion battery, IR-learning capabilities, and it can even replicate your old remotes’ layout, displaying up to four simultaneously on-screen. You’re going to pay dearly for this though, oh yes. $1,700, dearly. Sell a kidney, whatever you’ve got to do.

[Via uber-review](Via Engadget.)

Ok, the gadget lust has subsided long enough for me to comment rationally. Now, iPronto… sigh. Look, I know we‘re to blame for the genesis of the iName for everyone’s iProduct out there in the iWorld… but cut it out, already. I’m not saying that only Apple should use iNames, but geezuz, get a hold of yourselves.

At any rate, no.. it’s highly unlikely I’d pay $1700 for a remote… but I still want one because it’s über and it looks like something you’d have on Star Trek: The Next Generation… but it goes on your coffee table. And that’s just how my brain is wired.

Of course, I’d need a much cooler home theatre setup before I could have something like this. Otherwise it’d be like having some awesome high-tech, killer dashboard on your yugo.

Update: Amazon has this for only $1430.99! heh.

Over at Gizmodo they have an
article about a new device called the SmartKlamp. What’s SmartKlamp, you say? Why, it’s a Single-Use, Automatic Circumcision Device.

Yes, you read that right. A Single-Use, Automatic Circumcision Device.

You should check out the page on the SmartKlamp site for details. Please take note of how happy the young boys on the page look. Uh, huh. They say, “Circumcision is a very simple and straightforward procedure. Nevertheless it is important to explain your son what is going to happen. With the availability of modern painkillers he does not need to suffer any pain. ” Yeah… no physical pain. ‘Just stick your winky in the thing that looks like a portable garbage disposal, son. Stop being such a pussy.’ gah. I’m gonna have nightmares tonight.

Gizmodo has an article on the prototype from Sharps.

Ok, so it’s far enough away that you can’t get one and it has some of the same failings as the Sony reader (inability to read non-proprietary, DRM-free, free eBooks (wtf?)) but… but… it’s so goddamned sechsy. I want one just to caress lovingly and show off.

I think this goes beyond the realm of a case-mod. (And, btw: Gah! and Rackmount? Ow! Hey! Ok, Sorry! Stop throwing rotten tomatoes!) Anyhow, it’s actually a pretty impressive piece of work… but maybe not the computer you want in your home when you bring a date home for the first time.

Check out some other cases here.

I picked up an HP Scanjet 3570c scanner. It’s a mid-range scanner, no big deal, really… but since I am mostly using it to scan line art it’s perfect. With that, my Wacom tablet and my G4… the “art” (aka crap I like to draw) is coming along nicely. My new site is still a ways away from being public though.

Oh yeah… screw you Microtek and your slow ass OS X driver development. -0= I returned your scanner to CompUSA and exchanged it. I’m sure HP thanks you.