Still need a gift for Father’s Day? Well, if you were planning to get your old man something online, you really blew it this time. There’s no way it will show up in time for Sunday. You’re gunna have to go to a store in your neighborhood.

Luckily, you can do all your local research online. Check out ShopLocal.com, search or browse for an item, and click the “Buy-In-Store” tab. Dad can be the hardest member of the family to buy for, so we at Digital Punch have taken the liberty of coming up with a few suggestions for the stumped.If price is no object, how about a Hard Drive Camcorder like the Sony Handycam DCR- SR200. It boasts a 40GB HD, which provides hours of high-quality video, with no fumbling with tapes or memory cards.. It doesn’t come cheap though, it rings in at about $750.For the more budget-conscious, how about Radica’s home Golden Tee Golfgame? Just plug it into your TV, and Dad can enjoy this barroom classic in the comfort ofhis den. The price is right too, at about $40.Nothing says summer like an old-fashioned father-son game of catch. Ifdad’s glove has seen better days, pick him up a new one. A basicRawlings mitt will run you around $50. Then head out to the backyard, and help him break it in.If your dad’s athletic pursuits are less about baseball and more aboutthe one-armed pint lift, there’s the Mr. Beer Deluxe Home MicrobreweryKit. It’s the easiest way to get him started making his own homebrew, and it’s affordable at just about $30.You can find all these products in stores near you, so go to ShopLocal.com and check out all the local deals they offer!One week ago today, the coveted world hot dog eating record was swallowed whole by Californian Joey “Jaws” Chestnut. The new world record of 59 1/2 dogs eaten in 12 minutes defeated the old record held by, Takeru Kobayashi.Now we at Digital Punch decided to honor the noteworthy achievement by engaging in a high octane, no holds barred, gut busting hot dog eating contest of our own. Twelve minute contests like the one (quote fingers) “Jaws” set the record for, are for babies. We are putting it all on the line with :30 of pure hot dog gorging glory.Well, that’ll do it for this episode of Digital Punch. Thanks to Peter Medlock, Doug Werder, Vince Portacci, Cene Ketchem and anyone else that helped with this episode. As always you can find us at digitalpunch.tv where we have a summary of each show and links of the products and stories we reviewed that week.Alright, that’ll do it. See ya next week, I’m punchin’ outThanks!-Digital Punch TV

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Hello boys and girls, welcome to the 18th installment of Digital Punch TV !

In this episode of Digital Punch, we have a talk with Dog from Unleashed. He’ll help us look into the hottest toys in the Pet market. We also discuss the major Tech stories from the past month, and those include: Beatles & Apple Inc., the launch of Apple TV and the YouTube Awards.We’ll also read a breaking story about Google and answer user questions and comments. If you’d like to see a visual demonstration of Apple TV, visit our friends at GeekBrief TV. Check out Episode 149.

As always, we love to hear from you so take a few seconds out of your busy day and send us an email. Got an idea for a future show? Perhaps a comment or question? Well don’t delay.

Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

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Hello boys and girls, welcome to this edition of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way.

Digital Punch TV is back… kinda. As I’m sure you all noticed, we took a break for a month or so. Some think we were traveling the world for the greatest tech stories on the planet. Not true. Other suggested that Benjamin was serving a 30 day prison sentence for ripping the tag off his mattress. Also not true. Some had the audacity to suggest Benjamin and Patrick were taking time off due to their rigorous 3-legged race training schedule. Those people were correct.

But we’re back and excited to get this project rolling again. Stay tuned in the coming weeks because we’ll be bringing the Digital Punch guess host back! That’s right, you have a opportunity to join us on our show. We’ll also be giving away cool stuff and giving you a chance to send in your crazy videos that we would air on our show.

As always, we love to hear from you so take a few seconds out of your busy day and send us an email. Got an idea for a future show? Perhaps a comment or question? Well don’t delay.

Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

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Hello kids. Ready for the next installment of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way? Well if you are, big #16 is ready for your immediate consumption!

Our first story is about the world’s most outrageous item that is available for purchase online. I used to think this honor belonged to cars, refrigerators and sofas. I was wrong. How about a hydraulic lift that can hoist a school bus into the air, or anything else for that matter that is 40,000 pounds or less. A company called Bend Pak makes these lifts which come in all shapes, sizes and prices. If on the off chance you find yourself in need of one of these mega lifters, check the wide selection of them on ShopLocal.com

Next up, we show you the tribute video that Harrison Ford and Sandra Bullock created to pay honor to all the little people that work in Hollywood that make movie magic actually happen. This short montage was suppose to be shown during the Oscars, but the producers of the Academy Awards pulled it last minute. Don’t fret First Grip or Best Boy, we salute you!

Finally we show you what can be done with a simple dry erase board and a cheap camcorder. This short stop motion film clip really does open up many creative possibilities and a whole new digital canvas. Incredible.

Once again, we would love to hear from so take a few seconds out of your busy day and send us an email. Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

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Howdy folks. Sit back and relax because episode #15 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way, is coming straight your way. Yee-Haw!

Up first is the coolest toy ever (Mom, I hope you are reading this). A mini R/C (radio controlled) helicopter is just what the doctor ordered. These babies are super affordable (about $50) and very easy to use, thanks to some new technology breakthroughs in recent years. Even a girl could pilot one I bet. I can’t wait to get one and fly it around the office.

Next on tap is an introduction to Sphere XP. Sphere is a freeware 3D project that allows Windows XP users to “upgrade” their desktop / user interface (UI) to something very similar to the GUI within Microsoft’s latest and greatest OS – Vista. Well, if you don’t have the funds to go out and upgrade to Vista just for a slick interface, you should definitely check out Sphere XP (download here).

Finally, we give you a glimpse of the coolest chair in all recorded history – the amazing folding and flexible chair that is made out of entirely paper. Yes way! This crazy invention is all the buzz right now on sites like Digg.com Not sure on how to get one or what the price is, but this would be perfect for my small condo when I have a party and there is no place to sit. Talk about genius.

And yes, user comments are back after an extended break. Our newest friend, Mr. French delivers the questions and feedback, but wait. He seems so familiar. I just can’t quite place him. Hum. I think more investigation is needed into this mystery.

Once again, we would love to hear from you, our most valued viewers. So please, stop reading this and start writing us an email. We are in real need of new story ideas to cover. Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

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Hello Boys and Girls, welcome to the 14th episode of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way.

This week, love is in the air here at Digital Punch. So we are going to devote an entire episode to Valentine’s Day and the dark and mysterious world of online dating. We thought the best way to investigate this growing way singles are going about the courtship process was to review the top online dating services (e.g., the sites listed below) out there as one resource to help you in your quest to find true love.

Or if we didn’t present you with enough options already, read more about the whole host of other online dating sites that are out there over at TechCrunch.com. Or if you are interested in learning the truth about online dating go check out this engaging article.

• eHarmony.com
• Match.com
• PerfectMatch.com
• LavaLife.com
• Nerve.com
• True.com
• PlentyofFish.com
• IAmFreeTonight.com
• BuyMyAffection.com
• DontDateHimGirl.com

Finally we ask the big question. Does online dating really work? A new survey shows that Only 15 percent of Americans have used the internet to meet a potential romantic interest. 42 percent of those who’ve tried it met their spouse or life partner that way. Not bad odds.

Have you tried out the world of online dating? If so, write us an email and tell us about it. We’d love to hear from you, especially if you have a humorous or shocking experience to share. Thanks!-Digital Punch TVP.S. Check out our special web only Valentine’s Day video called The Working Cupid. Also make sure to sign up to be his friend at MySpace.

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Hello Boys and Girls, welcome to episode #13 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way. This week’s episode is a special one. Since Benjamin taking a few weeks off, producer man Patrick Flanagan is filling in with the first ever lo-fi webcam version of the show.

So in order to have the best Super Bowl XLI (41 for those of you that don’t read ancient Roman) party ever, consider checking out the following gadgets:

• TiVo Series3 HD DVR – This bad boy costs about $800 but records 2 digital cable programs simultaneously. It’s even THX certified for optimal viewing and listening experience. So you will not miss a moment of the game or any of the over-the-top TV ads.
• iFlim.com – This site is offering iPod friendly downloads of a wide selection of Super Bowl commercials and ads. No iPod? No problem. You can even watch these videos OnDemand for free by going to the site and using their online video player.
• Pinata’s in the shape of giant footballs – Say no more. This is the world’s best party favor every invented by mankind. It also doubles as a stress reliever if you get too worked up during watch the game. After a quick beat down with your favorite baseball bat, a nirvana like state is guaranteed.
• iRobot’s Roomba – This little vacuum cleaner helps you clean up after the big game. The Roomba (not to be confused with the Woomba) is a sweet little gadget for the lazy folks out there that is a fully automated cleaning device that seeks and destroys dirt and dust wherever it may lie.

Are you having a Super Bowl party that is using any weird gadgets? Playing any bizarre games? Engaging in some illegal gambling? If so, write us an email and tell us about it. And feel free to send along your awesome photos of your Super Bowl party. We might even show the best during our next show. We’d love to hear from you.Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

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Hello Boys and Girls, welcome to episode #12 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way.

So you like playing ping pong (or as the true geek likes to point out, Table Tennis). Well, have we got the perfect thing for you. Enter Robo-Pong robot, an automated device that has ball capture and return capabilities. The best parallel of what a ping pong robot is and does can be found in the world of tennis. Perhaps you’ve seen a tennis ball machine that shoots balls at you from the other side of the net. A ping pong robot (or ping pong launcher, ping pong machine, etc) is similar, but actually does a lot more than a tennis ball machine. To learn more about this amazing robot or to watch some other product demo video visit the Robo-Pong website. So one of the fun parts of being part of the new media revolution where everyone is a content producer is that we can collaborate and share ideas, content and audiences with other cool shows out there on the WWW. Podcast Salad is just one of these great partners that we have – Thanks Katie (wink) and CleverMedia TV. This show is a video podcast about other video podcasts. It is definitely a great way to keep up-to-date of what new video podcasts are out there. It is really wonderful to have a show about other shows, as there is so much content out there, you really need a filter or guide to help you find the most interesting stuff out there.In other news, the Digital Punch team will be covering all things SuperBowl related in our next episode – #13 (stay tunned!). Since Benjamin is a die-hard Bears fan and Patrick is a born and breed Colts fan, we promise to do a fair and impartial job of covering the largest sporting event of the year. P.S. – Go Colts! Finally, we answer your comments & questions, as well as introduce you to our latest Digital Punch guest co-host, Mike Strama. Seriously, getting emails and comments from you all is the best part of the show – so keep them coming! Would you like to be our next guest co-host? Then send us an email with “Digital Punch Co-Host” in the subject line. We’ll take it from there.Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

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Hello Boys and Girls, welcome to episode #11 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and a bunch of random fun along the way.

In this episode we dive into Apple’s announcement of the upcoming iPhone. This high powered phone does it all (including doubling as an expresso maker). Here are the specs: It features a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 touchscreen display, 2 megapixel cam, 4GB or 8 GB of storage, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, and quad-band GSM radio with EDGE. It also runs OS X with support for Widgets, Google Maps, and Safari, and iTunes. Sweet huh? To see the iPhone in action be sure to check out these two short videos . The first video is by Christopher DeSantis with design by Gregory DeSantis. The second video has Phil Schiller of Apple showing John Blackstone of CBS what this new breakthrough device is all about.MySpace and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced this week that amateur video makers may submit their work to a MySpace Emmy page, where it can be entered for a “Broadband Emmy”. Find the details in this latest episode.

We bring you a very important breaking news story this week, as well as introduce you to our latest Digital Punch guest co-host, Jason Lord. Would you like to be our next guest co-host? Then send us an email with “Digital Punch Co-Host” in the subject line. We’ll take it from there.

Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

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P.S. As promised during episode #11, here is the list of all the equipment that we use here at Digital Punch TV and a rough estimated cost. In most cases, we bought bottom-of-the-line stuff so as to keep the overall costs down. Since this project is all about video on the web, you really don’t need super HD quality, as your videos get compressed down to very small sizes (we use QuickTime H.264 for all of our compression)

1. Green Screen & Stand – $100
2. Five Cheap High Wattage Tripod Lights (needed to do real-time chroma keying) – $200
3. Wide Angle Clip-On Lens – $20
4. Cheap Aluminum Tripod – $30
5. Seinnheiser Shotgun Microphone W/ Phantom Power Adapter – $400
6. Canon Elura DV Camcorder With FireWire Output – $550
7. Apple G5 Workstation W/ 19” LCD Monitor – $(We already had this stuff laying around)
8. VideoCue Pro Teleprompter & Video Capture Software – $90
9. iMovie Editing Software (part of iLife) – $79
10. QuickTime Pro – $30
11. Pair of red boxing gloves (that’s the most important part) – $Priceless

This week Digital Punch was featured on the rad video podcast “Podcast Salad” (thanks Katie!). Check it out: Salad episode 34

Podcast Salad is a video podcast about video podcasting. Subscribe to the show find out what’s new each week. Then check out the directory of more than 1,000 video feeds and 10,000 episodes. Search to find the content you want. While you are there, also be sure to check out the other shows that CleverMedia TV has in its current lineup

Between now and 9:00pm CST tonight (Thursday, Jan. 11), please go to http://2007.bloggies.com/, scroll down to the bottom to “Weblog of the Year” and write in “Digital Punch” in the left column and copy and paste http://digitalpunch.tv/ in the right column.

Now here’s the tricky part…to complete and send, you also have to nominate two other blogs. Thanks so much for helping us put the word out about Digital Punch.

Hello Boys and Girls, ready for the wackiest episode of Digital Punch ever? Well, in episode #10 (yes, we are now in double digits!) of Digital Punch TV, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and random fun, we bring you the top 10 crazy USB devices. You won’t believe the things you can plug into your computer.

1. USB Mini Desktop Aquarium
2. USB Mug Warmer
3. USB Butt (chair) Cooler
4. USB Hamster Wheel
5. USB Flower Pot Speaker
6. USB Heated Slippers
7. USB Heated Gloves
8. USB Thumb Drive (literally)
9. USB Fundue
10. USB Duck-Shaped Vacuum Cleaner

We also visit Meebo.com, the online instant message service (Thanks Nikko @ ChefTalk.com for suggesting the story). With Meebo you can instant message using your buddy list from anywhere. No installs, no software needed, and it’s free!

Are you ready for 3 stupid jokes? I hope so. They are stupid, but I bet they’ll make you laugh. If not, leave us your stupid joke in the comments section below.

Last week we asked our viewers (you!) to send us their New Years resolutions, so in this episode we read the best of the best. Do you have a New Years resolution? Have your already broken one? Leave a comment and let us know.

And finally, we introduced our first Digital Punch guest co-host. Her name is Annalise Nelson-Balock and she is from Lyons, IL. Also to make good on a promise made during the episode, make sure you check out the band Beard (Annalise did a shout-out during the show). Would you like to be our next guest co-host? Then send us an email with “Digital Punch Co-Host” in the subject line. We’ll take it from there.

Thanks!-Digital Punch TV

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This is just a quick note to let you all know that the partial and incomplete downloading issues have been resolved, and should be a thing of the past. I can only imagine how frustrating this must have been to you, our loyal viewers. We are very confident that our file viewing and downloading issues are a thing of the past, due to the hard work of Mo (head DP tech geek – thanks again dude). We are now fully utilizing the Akamai EDGEPlatform content distribution network that has over 20,000+ servers worldwide caching our content. So you all should experience blazing fast download speeds. Let us know if you experience any more issues, as we really want help each and everyone of you out.

Thanks For Your Patience,

Patrick M. Flanagan
Executive Producer
Digital Punch TV

Digital Punch – Episode_09 – Show Summary:

In this 9th episode of Digital Punch TV, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and random fun, we introduce the Solio Hybrid Solar Charger. It’s the charger that needs no wall to plug into and can charge almost every type of electronics you own, including fish finders (I know you really were worried about that).

We also asked for you to send us your New Year’s resolutions. We will read the best of them on-air during the next show. Promise.

To celebrate “You” being named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, we had our first in-studio interview with… you. This is a must watch interview, trust us. (Also you might want to watch this interesting video with the founders of YouTube in the garage where it all started. Talk about humble beginnings to multi-billionaires!)Would you like to appear in an episode of Digital Punch? Well, you can! If you can make it downtown Chicago on a Friday afternoon, then you are eligible. Just send an email to digitalpunch@gmail.com with “Digital Punch Co-Host” in the subject line. As we usually do, we devoted time to your questions, comments and feedback. We value your feedback so please e-mail us, leave a comment/question or subscribe to our show!Thanks!-Digital Punch

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A blooper reel full of all the flubs, outtakes and screw ups that the crew here at DP have recorded over the last seven episodes. You can witness Benjamin saying some of the most ridiculous things ever such as frik, barf, biscuits, girgle, flubber, crud pot, a-burp, craps, flibbage, goof and many many more.

As always, email us with your show ideas, questions or comments. We really do read and respond to each email. Honest, I swear.Thanks For Watching!-Digital Punch

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Digital Punch – Episode_06 – Show Summary:

In this episode of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and random fun, we review the Slingbox Pro. Now you can watch your TV programs (in high definition) on your computer or mobile phone at any time and anywhere.

We also talk to Steve Tanner, one of the foremost beverage review experts, about the new holiday flavors offered by Jones Soda. If you are interested in reading any of Steve’s reviews of basically every soda product every released on planet Earth, check out his blog for more info. (Update: It is a small world. The lady whose picture that she took appeared on one of Jones Soda holiday beverages that Steve recently reviewed actually wrote a repy to the review. It is worth a read…)

Finally, we introduce the iCarta. The iCarta is a toilet paper dispenser iPod docking station. It comes compete with water resistant speakers and can handle all models of the iPod. Going to the bathroom has never been so fun!

As always we appreciate your questions and feedback, so please e-mail us, leave a comment/question and subscribe to our show!Thanks!-Digital Punch

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In the fifth episode of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and random weirdness, we present a High Definition (HD) television buying guide that looks at the pros and cons of plasma vs. LCD flat screen TVs.

We discuss the world’s first Virtual Millionaire, Anshe Chung, the real estate tycoon from Second Life who has acquired holdings that are legally convertible into more than 1 million dollars.

We also feature an amazing blender from Blendtec along with video footage of this product in action from the popular web video series ‘Will It Blend?‘ If you haven’t seen any of these short videos, make sure you check them out as it will deepen your appreciation for our ‘spoof’ response video where we put our own blender to the test. We did not use the Blendtec Total Blender, but rather a $15 generic piece-o-junk. The results are unexpected and real. As always, email us with your show ideas, questions or comments. We really do read and respond to each email.

Thanks!-Digital Punch

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Episode 4 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and random weirdness, is a special Thanksgiving offering. Due to the holiday week we were unable to pull together a full episode, but Benjamin does give you 10 things he is thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend.

Benjamin is thankful for:

• The limited supply of cork in the world
• Obscure asian diseases that remind him of the value of life with out threatening his own
• Anyone who still uses the words pantaloons, britches or knickers
• That K-Fed is back on the market
• Night-vision goggles
• Escalators that rescue us from the tryany of walking up things
• Popped collars
• Toe-less pigeons
• That Numa-Numa kid (watch video)
• Al Gore for inventing the internet

What are you thankful for? Let us know and we might just read it on-air next show! As always, feedback, questions, ratings and comments are greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving weekend and your stuffed Turkey & gravy.Thanks!-Digital Punch

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• AOL
• Blip.Tv
• Brightcove
• Del.icio.us
• Feedburner
• Google Video
• Internet Archive
• iTunes
• MeFeedia
• MySpace
• OurMedia
• Podcast Alley
• PodCast Ready
• PodShow
• Podzinger
• Revver
• SWiK
• Veoh
• Video Bomb
• VitalPodcast
• VLogDir
• vLogMap Community
• Yahoo! Video
• YouTube

In episode 3 of Digital Punch, the vlog that features breaking tech news, cool product reviews and random weirdness, we review the new Zune MP3 player, Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s iPod and iTunes monopoly. We’ll give you the pro’s and con’s of this new hot media player device. (BTW, what do you all think of their new ‘Go Social’ advertising campaign?)

We also take a special look at the potential worldwide epidemic of TMI (Text Message Injury) and the Air Guitar T-Shirt, the “wearable instrument shirt” that has the potential to revolutionize this popular pastime. Check out this video interview with Richard Helmer, the inventor.Along with taking suggestions for future shows, we also answered user questions and read user feedback, so please email us, leave a comment/question and subscribe to our show via all the pretty buttons to the right!Thanks!-Digital Punch

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