Electron Hut: Kyle Bedell’s Blog

There’s a company out there called WOWIO that lets you download three e-books from their catalogue per day. Ernst and Young sponsors the site, there’s a decent selection, and everything comes in .PDF format. I’d prefer something more portable, like the mobiPocket .MOBI format, but I’m not complaining. I got Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, a copy of Brave New World, and a book on Legends and Myths of the World.

You need to provide some proof of identity when you register, be it a non-anonymous email, a credit card number, or an ID scan.

The Slanket: The Best Blanket Ever takes a blanket and adds sleeves. Sleeves! Now you can keep your arms warm and do stuff with your hands at the same time (like play video games in the cold)! It’s $44.

The Asus EEE now comes in black, and received rave reviews from folks across the globe. It’s zippy, lightweight, and has a full-fledged Linux OS! The Black 4G model at NewEgg is $399.

Everyone should carry a good multitool, and Leatherman is releasing their back-to-basics Skeletool a little later this year. It’s the lightest full-size multitool they’ve ever produced, and comes with pliers, wirecutters, a knife, and a screwdriver (with interchangable bits). Plus, it looks cool to boot. Expect to pay around $60.

The Nintendo DS Lite continues to be a blockbuster hit. At $129, it’s relatively inexpensive for a game system, has a huge library, and the battery life of ~12 hours is hard to beat. Can’t go wrong with this one.

For the fashionable nerd in your life, Thinkgeek’s 8-Bit Tie is as awesome as it gets. Plus, it’s a clip-on, so you don’t need to fumble with cumbersome knot-tying! Usually $19, it’s just $9 until midnight tonight.

Want your TiVo or cable/satellite television channels to be viewable online, no matter where you are? Grab a Slingbox Solo, stick it between your TV and video source, and you’re done! $180, and you can get more fully-featured Slingboxes for more.

Remember the Sony Aibo? The robotic dog? Well, there’s a new king of robotic pets in town. His name is Pleo, and he’s the most advanced consumer-oriented robotic lifeform $349 can buy. Robot dogs, you’d best quiver in fear, because there’s a baby robot dinosaur in town.

Happy holidays!

If the passenger with the iPhone would be kind enough to use it to check the weather at our alternate, calculate our fuel burn due to being rerouted around the storms, call the dispatcher to arrange our release, and then make a phone call to the nearest Air Traffic Control center to arrange our timely departure amongst the other aircraft carrying passengers with iPhones, then we will be more than happy to depart. Please ring your call button to advise the Flight Attendant and your fellow passengers when you deem it ready and responsible for this multi-million dollar aircraft and its passengers to safely leave.

See here.