Digital Grafitti

The Do It All Knife

For the culinary genius in you; knowing your way around in the kitchen is one thing, but having the proper utensils in preparation of a meal is also an essential ingredient. So, your recipe calls for an onion or a potato and you cannot find that peeler? What if your knife served a dual purpose and could also be used to peel, grate, or even chop?

Caroline Noordijk and her BasicKnives conceptual design may be the missing morsel. Basically, it takes the average kitchen knife and integrates another useful tool into the blade like a vegetable peeler, citrus zester or a spice measuring apparatus. We could see such a knife selling like hot cakes!

Gateway Takes Aim at the iMac With "The One"

PC manufacturers will probably not admit that they are a bit envious of Apple's cool and intrinsically urban stylish computer designs. Take for instance, the latest iMac that manages to pack allot of goodness into one funky shell!

It's not that PC makers haven't tried producing an all-in-one computer. The truth of the matter is that there have been some pretty amazing adversaries to rival the iMac. However, the price of most all-in-one computer's are pretty hefty.

Gateway may be onto something with it's new all-one-computer, dubbed, "The One". A quick look at it's sleek design and sassy curves will probably make even the most ardent iMac user nod their head in approval.

The One has a 19 inch screen, seven USB jacks, wireless keyboard and mouse, a removable webcam, a hard drive starting at 300GB to 500GB and is compatible with all flavors of Wi-Fi (a, b, g, and n). Also, nestled under it's shell is an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (1.5-GHz or 2-GHz--depending upon your configuration).

Lastly, The One has a decent price point ($1,300 for the entry-level model and peaking at $1,800 for the more amped up version that includes a powerful graphics card and other cool amenities). The One will be making it's debut sometime in October near a computer retailer near you!

Target Markets Pink iPod Shuffle for A Worthy Cause

In an effort to move existing iPod stock off of its shelves and to make room for the newer iPod Shuffle, brick and mortar retailing giant, Target has packaged a "Special Edition" Pink iPod Shuffle ($79) along with a free $15 iTunes store gift card. Target will donate an unspecified amount of the proceeds to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Take Flight With This Dragonfly!

We think that the Wow Wee radio controlled flying Dragonfly insect ($49.99) is cool, because it meshes old RC technology with a new twist! This is in the first radio controlled dragonfly that actually flaps its wings like the real thing. And because of it's lightweight construction, it can also flutter, soar, dive-bomb and glide. Wow Wee also claims that the carbon-fiber structure and flexible wings are very durable and can take rough landings and crashes. This device takes 6 AA batteries, and comes with 1 set of spare wings, a controller, spare propeller and a detachable antenna.

NEC Produces Portable DNA Lab - Briefcase Included!

It was that evil villain, Darth Vader, in Star Wars, who spoke those infamous words to Luke Skywalker: "I am your father!'. I often thought that "what if" Luke wasn't actually Darth Vader's offspring and wouldn't a simple DNA test clear this up once and for all? If anything, he would've had those paternity results in about 10 days via a traditional lab.

However, if they were using NEC's Portable DNA Lab, then the results would've been available in about roughly 20 minutes!

NEC is currently exhibiting and testing their Portable DNA lab in a brief case to the scientific community around the world and their next stop is at a medical convention in San Francisco, California. Could you imagine the implications of having this technology within immediate reach? Paternity tests could be conducted at one's place of residence, and the results would be immediate!

This DNA lab in a briefcase is equipped to take cell samples, extract the DNA, perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification to generate copies of DNA, perform electrophoresis to measure the spacing between DNA bands (to create the genetic fingerprint), and perform short tandem repeat (STR) analysis to create a unique genetic profile for the individual. Whew, now that's some heady stuff! Can you picture the bean counters smiling if such a product would be introduced commercially? Of course there would probably be legal and legislative hurdles to overcome....

Survey Says: More Women Than Men Own Game Consoles

In an on-line survey conducted by JWT,  a media survey company, more than 44% of women said that they own a gaming console, compared to 39% of men in the United States. The survey was conducted from Sept. 7-11. Although, the survey respondents tallied 1,000, this small sampling could possible prove that more women are joining the ranks of owning a Wii, Xbox or Play-station.  Here's another cool caveat that men should take heed to: Women gamers are fierce competitors who don't talk trash or result to taunts after unleashing a butt kicking in games! Trust me, I am speaking from personal experience and I am willing to admit it!

Amazon Opens DRM-Free MP3 Download Store

Amazon has just opened it's DRM-free mp3 down load store, and all early indications are that it indeed plans to give Apple's iTunes store a run for it's money by offering music at 256kbps, and slightly under cutting their price on music starting at  $0.89 to $0.99. The good thing about the mp3 format is that it can be played on just about anything, and Apple's ACC format is restricted to certain player.

However, Amazon's DRM-free mp3 store doesn't have anywhere near the selection that Apple's iTunes store has. Right now, EMI and a few Indie labels are on-board, but one can almost expect that to change as the store increases in popularity.

In order to download music from the Amazon store, one will have to download Amazon's music store MP3 software which is similiar to iTunes. You can either buy songs directly through the store software or click through to it from Amazon. Only time will tell if this will be a success for Amazon. It's about time a new player is in town to shake things up!

Panasonic Introduces First Commercial Iris Scanner

Pretty soon the use of Biometrics security will be just as ordinary as the key one sticks into their car to start it. We already have flash drives that use this technology and now Panasonic has moved into the forefront in bringing this innovation closer to mainstream commercial use.

Panansonic's BM-ET200 Eye Scanner can make an accurate identification within a few seconds and is fitted with dual mirrors which are used for proper eye alignment. This device also has USB access as well as voice guidance that gives directions; for example, it will tell one to stand closer in English, Japanese, French, German, or Swedish. The BM-ET200 is available in the U.S. immediately for $2,417.

MacDaddy's Blinged Out Fishing Lure

For the well-heeled fishing enthusiast (noticed we didn't say hobbyist), who is equipped with the latest technological advances in fishing gear, we present to you a totally blinged out Solid Gold and Diamond Fishing Lure! Or how about this million dollar lure (pictured) that has enough Diamonds, gold, rubies and platinum to satisfy even the most non-amphibious human primate! This has to be one of the most over the top products (tasteless) that we've ever come across! If anything, one would most definitely have to insure this much bling before using it to fish!

Is There an iPod First Generation Curse?

Perhaps, with the purchase of my iPod Touch, I am blowing caution to the wind. And I'm hoping that my iPod works as advertised right out of the box. However, is it me, or is it becoming an issue with folks having more problems with their newly acquired Apple iPods? I can't recall this many stories of disgruntled pod fans.  Also, Apple confirmed that some video content as well as games has to be repurchased because it will not work on the new iPod Nano.

This is kind of troubling to hear, especially after initially spending allot of money to purchase videos from the iTunes store. Now, I've owned a series of iPods since their invention (2001), and I've never encountered nary a problem. Hence, I am praying that I don't fall prey to having a problem riddled first generation iPod product! Please share your iPod experience with us!

via Engadget