Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It’s free!
Latest Gear Live Videos
For the die-hard procrastinator, there is a new beta site that will help you to get things done. With ForceDo, you create a to-do list and set a mini-deadline. That begins a countdown and if you don’t get to the task on time, it will issue an audible alert and let you know how much time remains before you can really be called a deadbeat. While the site claims it is not yet perfected, it would love to have feedback about it and if you have suggestions, send them along, too.
Read More 
| ForceDo
Gallery: ForceDo Reminds You to Finish Chores
Advertisement
Solar Power can be expensive for something as large as a house, but think about this energy saving concept. The Inlet-Outlet can turn an appliance or other device into an energy generating one. For example, take something like your dryer that already uses way too much energy with a panel behind it capturing the excess heat and turning it into electricity. An entire system could turn all those plugged in exercise vehicles at your local gum into a mini-power plant. Kudos to Carla Diana and Jeff Hoefs for the smart design.
Read More | Core 77
Gallery: Inlet-Outlet - Use Energy, Make Energy
If you are someone who can’t quite get up in the morning during the workweek, try this Gong Alarm Clock that will beat until you have had enough. The clock is backlit with an easily readable display and has a snooze function. We think it would certainly be a fun gift for kids on school days or adults who dug the opening of Rank Oganisation movies. You can get gonged for £14.99 (~$21.00.).
Read More | Thumbs Up
Gallery: Gong Alarm Clock
SmartSwitch Saves Energy Usage
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Smart Home, Misc. Tech, Science,
Curb your partners/spouses, kids, and neighbors’ bad habits of wasting energy. Peter Russo and Brendan Wypich of Stanford University have created a SmartSwitch. The prototype doesn’t keep anyone from turning one on, but if it is done too often the flipping is more difficult. The device provides tactile feedback with a network connection and brake pad. The SmartSwitch fits into a standard electrical box and can be used for a home or an entire community, unless they have secretly purchased a Clapper.
Read More | Core 77
Gallery: SmartSwitch Saves Energy Usage
The Moshi IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Alarm Clock has to be the ultimate in timepieces for the terminally lazy. Turn it on and after it says, “Command Please,” ask it for the time, alarm time, date and temperature. It will also give you 5 minutes of ocean sound before you sleep. The clock can also be set by voice and has a help menu if it is more complicated than it sounds. You can get a Moshi Clock for $32.97 for an end of the month delivery.
Read More | Latest Buy
Gallery: Moshi IVR Alarm Clock
The SpyOrb Edition is about as state of the art as you can get for an aquarium. Available in silver, white or black, it holds 8 gallons and comes with internal filter with multistage filtration, food, water treatment, air pump, halogen light and transformer. At a size of 40 x 42 cm, it has a MSRP of £137.01 (~$197.00.) A optional timer is available to remind you to feed your fishy friends with a flashing light ($37.00,) but it is the special LED unit that caught our attention. For $82.00, the lighting goes through a natural day cycle, keeping them in a perfect state of Zen.
Read More | Reef One via Oh Gizmo
Gallery: biOrb SpyOrb Edition Aquarium
Google Tests PowerMeter Monitoring
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Google, Smart Home, Internet,
Google has a new tool that they are testing. PowerMeter will show home energy usage in real time on your PC. You set the rate of your electricity charge, plug in your appliance and a monitor will calculate the cost. Forty million trackers are already in use and Google predicts that another 100 million will be bought in the next few years. Studies show that those who have access to home energy information can save up to 15% of their electricity bills. PowerMeter is not yet available but should be soon.
Read More | CNN
Gallery: Google Tests PowerMeter Monitoring
Want your own mini-power plant? Dow Chemical has been working on the project Solar Solutions for the past year. They are developing solar roof shingles and hope to sell them by 2011. In collaboration with Global Solar Energy and home builders, they have been testing them with both simulated hail and fire to make sure they can handle extreme conditions. “The Beast,” a $2.5 million injection and molding machine, produces the shingles that should have a 20 year life span.
Read More | The Star
Gallery: Dow Chemical Solar Roof Shingles
Sylvania has come up with a nifty idea for combining green and illumination with its ECOlight. The LED light is powered by the water so needs no batteries or other power source. It also has a water temperature indicator and simple installation. The shower light is only $39.99 and can also double as an emergency light although if you have no hot water, you might want to skip the shower.
Read More | Sylvania
Gallery: Sylvania Water Powered ECOlight
Who needs to go outside on a cold night when we can bring part of the universe inside? Moon in My Room has twelve different phase settings and is authentically detailed. A CD comes with it that provides moon facts and its relationship with the planet. The display is simple to put up in one of three different angles, comes with an infrared remote and shuts off automatically to preserve batteries (not included.) Moon in My Room carries a MSRP of $29.95.
Read More | Discovery Shopping
