The Red Ferret Journal - gadgets, cool sites, freeware and tech trivia

TrekDesk Treadmill Desk – get fit while you work with just a gentle stroll

Nigel — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:22:55 +0000

There’s no doubt that all this sitting around in front of computers all day can be bad for your health. Even if you discount the stories about increased health vulnerabilities, there’s the fact that being stationary all day plays havoc with the waistline and can quickly lead to serious weight gain and worse.

This TrekDesk Treadmill Desk aims to fight back by giving you a combination treadmill and working area, so you can do your tasks [...]

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Email It In – email your files directly to Dropbox, Google Drive or Skydrive for quick and easy storage

Nigel — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:05:27 +0000

If you regularly store or archive files to an online service like Dropbox as part of your day to day activities, then you’ll know that it’s not the most elegant system in the world. You need to either keep the service running permanently on your computer, or go through all that tedious login stuff.

Well you may be pleased to learn that there’s now a service that lets you email your files to an online service [...]

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How I Double My Browser Productivity With Just 13 Free Browser Extensions [Freeware]

Emil — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:30:26 +0000

Last week I explained How I double my PC productivity with only 65MB of free software, so this week I’ll continue sharing some more productivity tips using browser extensions. I normally use Firefox and Chrome for 95% of my work. The rest of 5% is split between Opera and Internet Explorer.

As much as I am a Google fan, I must admit that my browser of choice is Firefox. This is not because [...]

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Razer BlackWidow Mechanical Keyboard – leave the competition in the dust

caitlyn — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:30:29 +0000

Some people take playing video games far more serious than others. There are a myriad of different games and ways to play those games out there. When it comes to PC, if you want to play professionally, you need to have the right gear. What good would your headphones be if you couldn’t hear where an attack was coming from, or a mouse if its DPI settings couldn’t keep up with you? [...]

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Sticky Lamp will make sure you don’t have any wasted space

caitlyn — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:15:21 +0000

If you need lots of extra light in your room, you’re going to be looking for a sizable lamp. Of course, this lamp will probably be placed on a side table or counter, and will only succeed in taking up more space aside from providing you with light. If you want a little more illumination that will stay out of the way, then why not just stick it on the wall? Of course, [...]

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Self Balancing Electric Unicycle – don’t sweat walking to work

caitlyn — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:00:41 +0000

Riding a unicycle requires a certain amount of skill. You have to learn how to keep your balance, steer, turn, and move, all without familiar assistance such as handle bars or brakes. This seems like a very convenient method for commuting, but if you aren’t to gifted with balancing skills, you may be out of luck. You can always get an electric version, but do be prepared to open your wallets. The [...]

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THL W100 – is this Quad Core, Jelly Bean phone at just $169 worth buying? Yep. [Review]

Nigel — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:45:56 +0000

High end smartphones are all well and good, but not everyone has $700+ to drop on a mobile, even if it’s got more processing power than the space shuttle. For those on a budget the choice is limited when it comes to top spec handsets, unless you’re prepared to compromise in some way.

The THL W100 smartphone is a brand new quad core, Android 4.2.1 powered smartphone which is threatening to reset the balance between cheapo [...]

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The new Flickr is gorgeous, is Yahoo! back on track at last?

Nigel — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:36:53 +0000

Well there were two choices. Either Yahoo! had to ditch/sell Flickr, or the company needed to drastically remodel the ageing service to keep up with the times. Thankfully for those of us who are fans, the site has not been sold but instead has received a gorgeous update and more.

The new Flickr, announced yesterday, unsurprisingly has moved to a more Pinterest themed motif, with large format infinite scrolling image browsing and one click access to [...]

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The Productivity Boosting Nap Pod – How valuable is sleep to you?

caitlyn — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:00:59 +0000

Sleep can be pretty hard to come by. If you have a brain that won’t shut down the moment your head hits the pillow, you likely take naps to make up for the lack of shut-eye. That being said, a little sleep can make or break your day pretty easily. If you think taking naps is such serious business that you need an expensive, designated space to have them in, the Productivity [...]

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Inka Mobile Pen and Stylus – you have the right to write!

caitlyn — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:00:56 +0000

There are two very different ways of writing down information. One is on your phone or tablet, and the other is on paper. While using an electronic device is convenient, jotting down directions on your phone isn’t going to be of any use to you if it’s about to die. That means you will want to keep a writing implement of some sort handy, so why not get [...]

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Nokia Asha 501 wants to give everyone high-end design that’s accessible

caitlyn — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:00:34 +0000

Just about every day you see a new smartphone, tablet, or laptop crop up that has a rather lofty price tag attached to it. All of those may have the latest or most impressive hardware and software, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the best. You can still have good quality without paying an exorbitant amount of money. Nokia has been known to make sturdy phones in the past, but they wanted to [...]

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No more mistaken identify for your umbrella

Debra Atlas — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:42:27 +0000

How many times have you left your umbrella somewhere, only to discover that it’s missing when you’re ready to leave? It happens. The Lizard Umbrella will take the guesswork out of it – and the hassle of figuring out which black umbrella is yours!

Cleverly, the name comes from the fact that a lizard can shed its tail to protect itself. This concept umbrella sheds its handle, [...]

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Hollywog WiTouch Cordless Back Pain Reliever – drug free pain relief at the touch of a button

Nigel — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:40:44 +0000

It’s a sad fact that so many of us suffer from dodgy back problems – pains, aches and worse. The problem is clearly that we’re not swinging through the trees as we’re supposed to do, which is making things go wrong in the spinal region. Or something.

Whatever the reason, there’s no shortage of money being spent on the problem, and one of the latest products to hit the market is the Hollywog WiTouch Cordless Back [...]

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Twilight helps you sleep better by adjusting your melatonin levels [Freeware]

Nigel — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:24:37 +0000

Recent research suggests that all this artificial light from our gadgets like tablets and smartphones could be disrupting our sleep patterns. Apparently the problem is that the light from these screens, especially when absorbed later in the evening or at night, can really upset our circadian rhythms and reduce our levels of melatonin.

Worse still, around 90% of us actually use a computer or electronic device in the hour before we go to bed, which makes [...]

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6 of the coolest and most unusual ways to use NFC tags with your smartphone

Nigel — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:04:29 +0000

With the launch of the latest Samsung, HTC and Nokia smartphones the world of NFC enabled applications has taken a large leap forward. The fact is that most of the latest model smartphones now feature this ‘near field communications‘ technology, which let you ‘tap’ to access a range of services and features.

But for many people it’s all still a bit of a mystery. What exactly can you do with NFC tags, and how does it [...]

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Larking around at the BBC

Nigel — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:58:00 +0000

Just some post show jinks going on with an electric bike down at the BBC. Clip after the jump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Ll5yFvOW4

You can catch the Men’s Hour Show featuring your very own Ferret at the BBC Radio Five Live site for the next week, at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t32zg .

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Hex Axis Wallet is a 3-in-1 iPhone case

caitlyn — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:58 +0000

If you’re constantly on the move, carrying around a backpack, messenger bag, or purse is going to get really annoying, really fast. You want to keep the essentials with you, but not burden yourself with too much extra weight. The best way to keep things together is with a case for your phone that can also be a wallet. The Hex Axis Wallet for iPhone 5 is a natural leather case [...]

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Gamepop wants you to subscribe for mobile games on their console…hmm

caitlyn — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:39 +0000

There are a plethora of ways to watch shows and play games, but when it comes to mobile games, you’d think they would just stick to your phone. Well, we saw with the OUYA that this is not always the case. Of course, the resounding success they had on Kickstarter means that others are going to try and pursue the same path in a new way. That doesn’t mean it’s going to [...]

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Picture Keeper tracks down forgotten photos on your computer

caitlyn — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:16 +0000

Do you ever have nostalgia days where you start looking through all of your old photos on your computer? It’s nice to look back through old memories, and it’s important to preserve them. If you want to make sure your computer doesn’t fizzle out and take your pictures with it, you’ll need to get them all moved to a safer place. The Picture Keeper can track down any and all photos on [...]

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Ferret posts this week

Red — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:30:01 +0000

Here’s a quick round-up of Red Ferret posts from the past week for those who missed them. Enjoy.

Leash Customizable Camera Strap – a photographer’s best friend – If you’ve used a camera that has… NVIDIA Project Shield – handheld gaming got a serious upgrade – Do you remember when a new… Archos ChefPad – Too many chefs in the kitchen? – When your parents decided they… How to Double Your PC Productivity With Just 65 MB of Free Software [Freeware] – Like many [...]

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Tarot – a cool handy portable power “bank”

Debra Atlas — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:11:52 +0000

As more of us have on-the-go lifestyles, being able to keep our portable electronics powered up is crucial. A new portable power bank called the Tarot by Powerocks is about to be introduced to the market.

This credit card shaped power charger fits neatly into your wallet, pocket, briefcase or backpack and will provide an emergency charge for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices [...]

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