Chip Chick

Celebrate Hello Kitty’s 35th Anniversary on Your iPhone

Chip Chick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:48:02 +0000

What better way to celebrate Hello Kitty’s 35th Anniversary then with an iPhone /iPod Touch App. Recently released are three new apps for all the Hello Kitty fans to love. The first App is the Hello Kitty Anniversary App which will countdown to when she turns 35 on November 1st 2009, profiles her friends, updates you on the latest Hello Kitty News, and offers a commemorative movie ‘Hello Kitty Colors”. The best part - this App is free! If you want to shell out $2.99 then there is the iHello Kitty Tokyo App and Hello Kitty Camera. The iHello App will let you dress Hello Kitty up in what’s hip in Japanese culture. Does Gothic or Harajuku Hello Kitty sound like fun? The ability is all there and if you want to make Hello Kitty move, just move your iPhone/iPod Touch and she will jump or stumble. Lastly there is the Hello Kitty Camera App which will let you immerse yourself into the Hello Kitty world by customizing your images with Hello Kitty herself, accessories, logos and more. If you didn’t put your iPhone or iPod Touch down already - you certainly won’t now.

iLive Portable Boom Box Dock for iPod with Radio Still Looks like a Purse

Chip Chick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:18:12 +0000

It appears iLive has updated its iPod Boombox from its earlier version from two years ago. The latest generation still keeps the same similar design intact but with a little bit more of a pocketbook/purse feeling. The design is a bit more curvier and compliments the latest iPod Nano nicely. The iLive Portable Dock for iPod with Radio IB109P will play all iPod generations and will let you connect just about any external music source via its AUX jack. If you tire of what’s on your shuffle list - then there is always the AM/FM radio. The iLive Portable Dock for iPod with Radio comes in various colors and retails for about $29.99 at Amazon. The perfect companion for the dog days of summer.

LED Color Changing Panel Light with Remote Control

Chip Chick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:37:58 +0000

The LED Color Changing Panel Light with Remote Control can be used as a decorative piece in your home or as a tabletop for drinks to be placed on or mounted on the wall or ceiling. It displays 16 different colors: white, red, green, blue, yellow, and purple are just a few of them. The included remote will control the colors as well as some random special effects. Now I dare you to combine this with the Colorlight DVD that turns your LCD/Plasma into a mood enhancing machine. I would suggest offering Dramamine at the door first before your guests enter. The LED Color Changing Panel Light with Remote Control retails for $52.39.

Beatbox Mixer And MP3 Player for Beatboxing Wannabes

Chip Chick — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:35:53 +0000

The Beatbox Mixer And MP3 Player is truly one of the funkier iPod/ Mp3 player speaks that we’ve come across. The system showcases three “professional” beat boxers, each with two buttons that you can use to mash along with. The original Beat box sounds have been provided by Doctor BadFunk, whom we actually aren’t familiar with at all. But this is a fun accessory if you’re the type that likes to get a little bit more interactive with your music while you listen to it. The Beatbox Mixer retails for just £4.89.

“Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion which primarily involves the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one’s mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and more. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments. Beatboxing is connected with hip hop culture although it is not limited to hip hop music.”

Boost Your iPhone Signal with the zBoost-ONE UMTS

Chip Chick — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:20:30 +0000

Do you live or work in an area with bad reception? The new zBoost-ONE UMTS has been designed specifically to increase the range of 3G zones. That makes it perfect for smartphone users who have a Blackberry, iPhone or Pre running on UMTS/HSPA (2100MHz) in an area where 3G is week. The device is also the first one piece 3G signal booster - there are no unsightly external aerials required. The zBoost-ONE UMTS is designed to be placed in a window and it will be able to extend a data area for up to 13 square meters.

Designed for consumers and network operators, the zBoost-ONETM UMTS 3G signal booster consists of one base unit with no external aerials and extends 3G Voice and Data Zones™ for single or multiple users in homes or offices using UMTS/HSPA (2100MHz). Internationally, the high data speeds of UMTS are now most often utilized for Internet access making the zBoost an ideal product for people with smart phones like iPhone™, Blackberry™ and Palm™.

Save Money on International Calls, Win a Skype Unlimited World Plan Voucher

Chip Chick — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:08:02 +0000

If you’re planning on traveling this summer - especially overseas, brace yourself. Renting a phone, using a hotel’s phone, or buying prepaid sim cards, all end up being very expensive. Likewise, if you have a loved one who will be traveling, you’re likely to rack up a big bill on all those long distance calls to them. That is where Skype’s Unlimited World plan comes in. For $12.95 a month, you can make unlimited calls to landlines in over 40 countries worldwide. Voicemail is also included with the plan. All you’ll need is an internet connection, and the easy to use Skype software to get up and running. We have Three Unlimited World Plan vouchers to give away - each with a three month plan, plus they each come with a snazzy Freetalk Wireless Stereo Headset. I’ve been using the Unlimited World Plan to call a friend overseas and the call quality is great. It has also been saving me a nice chunk of change, because I no longer have to use my cell phone to call my pal. And I can keep yacking as long as I want to, without feeling stressed about what my bill is going to be at the end of the month.
Want to win a three-month-long SkypeUnlimited World plan voucher? E-mail us a note about how or why you would use the service to speak to your friends or family internationally. Put “Skype Contest” in the subject line.

Ed Hardy’s Black Label Covers Your Phone in 24 Karat Gold Swarovski Accents

Chip Chick — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:54:51 +0000

A while back we covered Ed Hardy’s line of crystal-studded Icing iPhone cases. Now Ed Hardy has a new line of iPhone cases in their Black Label collection, and this collection is aimed at the highend. These cases are also covered in Swarovski crystals, but each design is hand made. Alternatively, you can send in your device and their designers will attach the crystals directly on to your phone (any type of phone), instead of as a case. You get to choose a pattern you like and a designer will then contact you and send you a digital proof for a truly custom piece. The Black Label collection costs $800, and if you want to go all the way - for an extra $250 you can also have them use 24 karat gold dipped Swarovski accents.

Wagan 18 Liter Thermo Sport Fridge with Radio and MP3 Player Input

Ali — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:20:07 +0000

A lot of us may be hitting the road tomorrow for that nice long July 4th weekend. and when those roadtrips seem like they will never end, wouldn’t it be nice to have something cold to drink atleast? The Wagan 18 Liter Thermo Sport-Fridge with Radio solves that problem. It will keep your food nice and cool at 39°F in the car with its included car adapter, it is ideal for storing drinks, fruits, and other foods. It can also keep food warm up to 140°F. The best part is that when you finally get to your destination, you can sit back and use it as a radio as you watch the fireworks go off. The Wagan has an internal radio with speakers and an audio input jack for you to attach your iPod or MP3 player. The Wagan 18 Liter Thermo Sport-Fridge with Radio retails for $96.85 at Amazon.

Ned Kelly USB Flash Drive is to Creepy too Store Anything

Ali — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:40:08 +0000

Well I guess it was time for USB flash drives to take a turn for the demented. Unlike the cute Twilight and Star Wars USB drives we mentioned earlier in the week, this Ned Kelly USB Storage Drive over at Etsy is anything but cute or adorable. In fact is that it’s downright creepy. The flash drive is modeled after Ned Kelly, the Australian Bushranger who was famous for being an outlaw and a criminal. This USB key depicts the homemade armor and helmet he adorned as he clashed with police before finally being arrested. The drive is made of kingwood timber, oil and has a capacity of 988MB and the drive is carved with so much detail there is even a gun in the design. The Ned Kelly USB Storage Drive retails for $70.

Finger Dance Alarm Clock Won’t Shut Off Till Your Fingers Fall Off

Chip Chick — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:12:46 +0000

I’m sure many of you recall the arcade game Dance Dance Revolution - you know that game that had you breaking a sweat before the Wii came along. Well Finger Dance Alarm Clock is almost the same concept. On the surface this looks like some game for your fingers to play if you are bored - au contre, instead this is a full fledged alarm clock that wont shut off till your fingers hit the right sequence shown by the lights. Get it wrong and that alarm will never shut off unless you throw it out the window. It features a digital alarm clock, snooze function, and of course the colorful dance mat. The Finger Dance Alarm Clock retails for £9.99.

G1 Optimus Prime Head with Built in USB Speakers - The Only Way to Listen to Music

Ali — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:59:22 +0000

The G1 Optimus Prime Head with Built-In USB-Powered Speakers is just the latest item to pop up at BigBadToyStore to enhance your ever growing collection of Transformer peripherals. The head itself weighs about 3 pounds and the sides of its helmet open up to reveal a set of speakers. The controls for the device are on the back, such as the volume, and it will sit nicely on your desk looking menacingly at others as they pass by it. If Optimus Prime doesn’t do it for you, there will also be a version for Ultra Magnus. There are no details on how decent sounding these things are, but most likely you are not getting them for their sound quality. Both are available for pre-order now and will retail for $49.99.

3 in 1 Mousepad is Perfect if you Run out of USB Ports

Chip Chick — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:25:45 +0000

If you are looking to reduce your clutter just a little bit more, then you might take a shine to the 3 in 1 mousepad. It has amousepad area, numeric keypad and a 3-port USB hub. So if you are one of the few that needs a numeric keypad and don’t have one on your keyboard, this should come in handy as well as the additional USB ports! Because we can never have enough of those. The 3 in 1 mousepad retails for $29 at gadget4all.

Hoon x The Perfect Unison Headphones Get The Python Skin Treatment

Ali — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:55:57 +0000

I don’t get what the deal is lately with electronics being covered with animal skins. We mentioned the Laptops covered in real animal skin a few weeks ago ane now there are headphones covered in Python skin too. HOON, in collaboration with The Perfect Unison, has created a line of luxury headphones called Hoon x The Perfect Unison. These are extremely trendy and stylish, minus the python skin covered headband. They truly wanted to capture the essence of technology and style. The headphones come in either purple or beige color and are naturally flexible and made out of nine layers of birch wood, then wrapped with python skin on the exterior side and then some goat skin on the interior for extra comfort for you (sadly, not for the animal). These cans will set you back $1639.54 or (£ 988.44) at Colette.

Frog-O-Sphere Ecosystem with Aquatic Frogs is Better than any Gold Fish

Ali — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:30:31 +0000

Well it seems that Brookstone has now become a petshop! They are selling the Frog-O-Sphere Ecosystem with Aquatic Frogs which is a self containing eco system that comes with two mini frogs that will live for about 4 years. There is also a snail, a bamboo plant, and living gravel that all join in the effort of converting waste. Everyone plays a part in this ecosystem - the snail is the janitor by feeding on the algae that grows, keeping excess amounts of food buildup in control. The gravel works as a sanitation system and converts waste into food for the bamboo plant. The bamboo plant then absorbs liquids and gases and releases oxygen to the frogs. The Frog-O-Sphere Ecosystem with 2 Aquatic Frogs retails for $39.95 at Brookstone.

Canine Augmentation Technology (CAT) Offers a Dog’s-eye View To Search and Rescue Workers

Ali — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:33:42 +0000

Search and rescue dogs are essential in times of catastrophe. They search and dig through piles of rubble to locate people in order to save them. However, it would be even more helpful if not just the pooch could see down that dark hole, but people as well. That is were the Canine Augmentation Technology (CAT) comes into play. The device was invented by the Network-Centric Applied Research Teamgroup of students at Ryserson University in Canada. Human rescuers along with the CAT can now monitor sound and video beamed wirelessly from cameras and microphones worn by the dogs as they search through the remains of buildings levelled by disaster - such as fire, earthquakes, or tornadoes. This is an essential emergency tool that could have possibly saved many more lives if it has been around during 9.11. CAT has already been tested by the Ontario Provincial Police as well as Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, and just recently its main inventor Alex Ferworn, won an award. I certainly hope that this becomes a required piece of equipment when it comes to saving lives in the future.

USB Tube Delight Audio is a Portable Sound Card with Lights

Chip Chick — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:49:06 +0000

Looking for something that makes others go ‘oooh and ahhh’ when they look at your computer? The USB Tube Delight Audio is a portable PC sound card. Just connect a speaker, headphone or a microphone in to the device’s ports and you’ll be able to listen to music emanate out of it. Other than that and its cool transparent vacuum tube appearance, it doesn’t do much else but add to your collection of other useless but cool looking USB peripherals that you already have. The USB Tube Delight Audio retails for $32.

Security Guard Keyfinder Will Help You Find Your Keys

Chip Chick — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:32:21 +0000

The Security Guard Keyfinder looks like it could be the little brother to the Fridge Alarm Clock. Also dressed in officers clothing and about the size of any typical keychain. Just attach the officer to your keys, and then whistle and the security guard will help you find them. You’ll never have to say again ” Where are my keys?! - Where did I put them!” The Security Guard Keyfinder retails for £7.99.

Tokbox is the Meebo of Video Chat

Chip Chick — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:34:23 +0000

Have you ever tried to initiate a video chat with someone and had to go through the frustrating steps of making sure the other person is using the same video chat client as you? I personally like to use iChat which is also compatible with AIM, but some of my friends overseas use Skype, while many of them also use MSN. Also, when I’m dealing with less technical folk, like my aunt, it has been a chore getting her to download and install AIM altogether, because she is practically computer illiterate. These are just a few examples of some of the barriers that make something that should be simple, in to something complicated and draining. So along comes Tokbox, a web based video chat service that connects people for video chatting, without the need to install any software. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using a Mac, a PC, or Linux, nor does it matter what web browser your using. All that is required is a web cam and a mic, and you can be up and running within a minute. In a lot of ways, Tokbox is like the Meebo of Video chat. Tokbox is also compatible with most of the popular IM services including AIM, Yahoo, and MSN. Actual video quality is good, although not quite great. It’s about on par with your average video chat service.

But aside from taking away all the software barriers, Tokbox also has a few tricks up its sleeves that set it apart even from its software based counterparts. For starters, it can support up to 20 video chat windows at once, so you can connect with many of your friends at once - conference style. Tokbox also lets you share YouTube videos and SlideShare presentations live - again, very conference style. That makes Tokbox very practical for both casual and business meetings where several people need to interact at once. The folks at Tokbox said that the service has been especially popular with book clubs, bridal planning when friends are located all over the country, and religious Bible study groups. We would imagine that this could be used for business purposes as a free alternative to GoToMeeting since it also supports text chat.

To use Tokbox for video chat, you need to sign up for the service, however Tokbox also allows you to send video messages to people which they can view without having to register for the service. You can also use Tokbox to post video messages to Twitter and Facebook. Overall, we recommend Tokbox for those looking for a hassle-free way to video chat with their friends and family.

Update 07/01/09: Meebo’s video chat is actually powered by Tokbox

Baldwin American Flag Vertical Piano is Perfect for a Patriotic Duet

Ali — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:25:05 +0000

If this piano doesn’t scream patriotic, then I don’t know what will. The Baldwin American Flag Vertical Piano is the perfect accompaniment for an awesome July 4th celebration. Not only is it totally patriotic, it’s extremely cool too! Darrell Jones who specializes in airbursh art, has added his own special touch to the Baldwin Exotic collection. An American Flag has been spray painted to look like it’s waving gracefully on the top and sides of the piano, while the front of the piano has a see-thru panel so that the musician as well as his/her admirers can watch what happens as you tickle the ivories from the inside. Besides the design making it a special piano, it also happens to be the smallest vertical piano in the Baldwin family. And with a $14,868 price tag - you better charge people to come see you play this thing at your July 4th BBQ.

Lucky Star Nyamo USB Drive for Anime Fanatics

Ali — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:23:54 +0000

I’m not really that into Anime in general, but the Lucky Star’s Nyamo 2GB USB Flash Drive is just too adorable if you’re a cat lover. For those who want to know who Nyamo is, it is a self-portrait of the Lucky Star Manga-ka, Yoshimizu Kagami. Its feline head comes off the base and is easily placed inside a USB port to easily transfer files. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come preloaded with any goodies, but it is a collectible since only 500 of them will be made. You can pre-order it from KidNemo in two weeks for $71.99.