September 30, 2005

We saw a lot of cool displays at the SID 2005 show, but nothing like this LCD that Casio announced today. The resolution is 920x240 and it has STEREO SPEAKERS built into the sides!  This will make an interesting upgrade for the Apple iPod line :-) It makes that elusive Video iPod one step closer to reality. Here is one item that came across our desk that made so much sense we wonder why it took so long :-)  A USB cord that will charge a cell phone! If you carry a laptop with you when you travel... with this cable from Azio Corp, you will always have a charger for your phone.  If you don't, you can always recharge using the car adapter.  What we NEED are different ends for all the devices we have and just connect the ones we need!  We hope to bring you a FirstLook of this product in October.

September 28, 2005

Verizon announced this new E815 phone from Motorola a while back.  For some reason, Verizon pulled it from their website shortly after announcing it. Now it's back... In RainyDayMagazine's FirstLook review, we give a quick overview of the buttons and features, show some samples of digital photos taken with this phone, and since this phone is the first one we've tested with Verizon's new VCAST capabilities, we also share our impressions of this video-on-demand feature.

September 27, 2005

Wow...we thought it was just us being rough with the iPod nano and scratching the screen.  Apparently the blogs were abuzzed this weekend with complaints regarding how easy it was to scratch the nano! According to one RainyDayMagazine reader (Sunny in HK), iPod nano is THE hot item in Hong Kong.  Folks there are really interested in keeping it ... pristine.  The InvisibleShield will help, but it is not the "MiracleShield" :-)   The iPod will get some nicks and dings no matter how careful one is with it.  We say... protect it, but use it and enjoy it! We have had the InvisibleShield on it now for a week and a half... we are as happy with it as the day we put it on.  We have also update the original review with answers to some of the more common questions.  Here is a pic showing the clarity of the iPod nano screen (with and without backlighting) after a week with the InvisibleShield.  Keep the questions coming!

September 26, 2005

We got our hands on the Motorola E815 cell phone last week.  All weekend we were playing with the various features (digital camera, video camera, Internet news, VCAST videos) of the phone... occasionally even making a call! We have to admit...the VCAST video quality was surprisingly good!  In the past, we have found reading news on the cell phone to be a painfully tedious experience of "life on the bleeding edge" of technology.  However, with VCAST, we found it quite convenient to be able to see movie reviews right on the cell phone!  We should have the FirstLook review completed by later today or early tomorrow.  To whet your appetite, we will say the built in camera takes pretty good photos... the Arlington Day photos in yesterday's article were taken with the Moto E815.

September 25, 2005

Yesterday was Arlington Day.  RainyDayMagazine and friends were out and about in Arlington taking in the local flavor and eating everything in sight.  Many of the restaurants (Krazy Karry's, Punjab, Shanghai Village, Tryst, etc...) were selling small tastes of their creations . Wan managed to sample a LOT of them. Others, like Toby, were trying out "vibration gyms" and massages.  We stopped by our friend Erik Taylor's tent to check out his new business.  Erik has just set up his practice in Arlington (Massage-By-Erik.com).  If you live close to Arlington, you should definitely take advantage of Erik's introductory rates!  Once word gets around, it will be a lot harder to book an appointment :-) It was a perfect day for strolling around Arlington's town square.  We found a lot of new restaurants in Arlington we'll have to try.  Look for the new RainyDayRestaurants review section in RainyDayKitchen this Winter!

September 24, 2005  (weekend edition)

The One Sweep Broom sweeps away cat hair, dirt, and those pesky basil stems, all in one go.  These things sweep away everything. And since they’re electro-static, the stuff you’re sweeping stays on the floor; there no dust clouds at all.  Go read all about this "magic" broom in Carolyn's World. Carolyn also coveted the Smart Spin Storage System, the spinning, one-top-fits-all, three-container sized, self-contained container set that is on “As Seen on TV” (yes, they have a website). It really is about the size of a coffee maker, it really does spin, and it really pulls out for easy access.  Check out what Carolyn thought of the SmartSpin here... maybe you too will find you need to reorganize your cabinets!

September 23, 2005

There are plenty of laptop bags on the market.  Most of them are very well made and will do a perfectly fine job in protecting a laptop in transit.  They all pretty much come in black, are made of cordura nylon or leather, and look like... every other laptop bag. Moonsus offers professional women a choice.  Their attache and laptop bags are made from high quality materials.  What separates Moonsus from the pack is that their collection is targeted at professional women who want function, but also demand style in their business gear.  Read RainDayMagazine's FirstLook of the Moonsus bags here! Moonsus has just announced a men's line called Marsus.  This line looks every bit as luxurious as the Moonsus collection.  We hope to bring you a first hand look in the near future.

September 22, 2005

We have been using the iPod nano for a week now and we have noticed a few things that we thought would interest our readers.  We have also received a lot of email from you asking about the iPod nano and the InvisibleShield. Since it many of the inquires were very similar, we have posted a 1 Week Update to both the iPod nano FirstUse and the InvisibleShield reviews.  Keep those questions coming!!!

September 21, 2005

All digital cameras, some cell phones, and a few MP3 players let you expand their internal storage with external FLASH memory cards.  If you had been paying attention to flash memory prices, you would have noticed they have been dropping like a rock! This is excellent news for consumers!  We can now take more photos, store more phone numbers, and carry more tunes with us then ever before... all for less money. We were musing back in January that cheap flash memory will have all kinds of unpredictable effects on how people may use these tiny memory cards.  We had asked what if prices of these 128MB or 256MB cards dropped to about $5 to $10?  Well... we just found some 256MB cards for $24 and 512MB cards for $32!!!! So I guess that day is almost here :-) Go get some and let us know if you are using them in unusual ways!

September 20, 2005 (TechTuesday)

We are putting this next item in our "Cool! Hope It's Real..." folder :-) As reported in the Montreal Gazette, a Canadian company called Innovative Hydrogen Solutions has claimed to have invented a device called the Hydrogen Generating Module (H2N-Gen) which will greatly increase gasoline burning efficiency in any combustion vehicle (cars trucks, buses, etc...). The theory is the addition of hydrogen to the combustion process will greatly enhance the efficiency of converting fuel to energy... greater output, less pollution, cheaper miles per gallon.  This is all very exciting, but you know...some of us still haven't gotten over the whole Cold Fusion thing :-) If you would rather generate your own energy, then Professor Rome of UPenn has developed just the thing you need.  It is a power-generating backpack.  Professor Rome had designed a pack that captures and converts the mechanical energy of motion and momentum generated from just walking around to electrical energy. So rather than just running on a threadmill to work off those excess pounds from SausageFest, we can now convert it into power for our iPod nano!

September 18, 2005

We got the black iPod nano last week. Within 3 minutes of getting it out of Apple's packaging, we started seeing small scratches on its shiny surface. We knew we need to get some PROTECTION for this baby.  Somebody at the office remembered seeing a product at MacWorld Boston called the InvisibleShield.  The demonstrator at the booth was scratching the crap out of an iPod screen with a car key, but only 1/2 the screen was being marked up. Why?  The undamaged half was protected by the InvisibleShield :-)  We got us some for the iPod nano and we'll show you how to apply it in this FirstLook review.

September 17, 2005

If Spiderman needed to mount a camera to take some action shots of him swinging from building to building, he would get a StickyPod! The StickyPod Dash Cam kit came with everything (knuckle joint, extensions, mount, nylon web tether) we needed to securely mount a camera to it and it to a car.  We also got the heavy duty "Pro" mount which has a larger surface and 4 suction cups.  The StickyPod is not just great for shooting videos from a vehicle.  Folks at the office started seeing ALL kinds of places to mount the StickyPod.  Go check out the RainyDayMagazine FirstLook Review and see for yourself.

September 16, 2005

We get asked to review a lot of products here at RainyDayMagazine.  Once in a while, we get something that is just...fun! In the past, we've received a desktop gyroscope and an orb that can read minds.  Recently we got a set of headphones called iBeat that pulsates with the music.  No ...it didn't help me with my rhythm, but at least now I can clearly see I don't have any :-)  See the FirstLook here.

September 15, 2005

The first generation iPod we purchased 4 years ago was a 5GB model that held 1000 songs.  It was the size of a deck of playing cards. We just got the iPod nano today.  It is Apple's 3rd generation iPod.  The one we got was the 4GB model.  It is the size of... well, it is smaller than anything we have to compare it to. In the FirstLook review, we'll show you all the various pieces which came with the iPod nano.  We'll also give you some size comparison to more familiar objects. In the FirstUse review, we'll check out the software install, song download, and exclusive features of the iPod nano.  We'll also attach the iPod nano to any and all accessories we can find around RainyDayMagazine :-) Of course, when the guys in the RainyDayGarage heard the iPod nano was ready, they had to hook it up to the Boxster.  I still didn't understand why they had to take it for a test drive...it was not like the performance of the car would change because they changed the iPod.  Anyway...they came back an hour later and confirmed that "Yes...the iPod nano had great sound and was fully compatible with the Boxster."  Whew...glad that was settled :-)

September 14, 2005

At RainyDayMagazine, some of us love fizzy water.  Some like the favored stuff.  Once in a while we all want a Diet Coke.  Our problem is we usually don't have something for everybody because we only shop when we run out. Well, this new machine RainyDayKitchen got from Soda Club may just change all that!  The Edition 1 was designed to make fizzy water and flavored carbonated drinks, a liter at a time, at the push of a button!  Expensive?  Well, after the initial cost... about 25 cents/bottle :-)  The best part? You can design your own flavors!!!  Go check out both the FirstLook and FirstUse reviews.

September 13, 2005

We went to a lecture a while back given by Porsche historian Karl Ludvigsen.  Mr Ludvigsen is the author of the three volume set "Porsche: Excellence Was Expected".  The set is a comprehensive history of Porsche, its cars and its racing heritage. At that same lecture, we met some really nice folks from Bentley Publishers.   They had told us a bit about their Porsche Boxster Service Manual project.  They purchased a Boxster, took it apart, and put it back together...photographing the process along the way!  Well...we got word today that they are taking pre-orders for the book!  We expect this first printing to sell briskly!  If you want to be notify when the first printing is available, go here and sign up now!  Tell 'em you heard about it on RainyDayMagazine!  We will do a full review of the book on RainyDayGarage when it is available in Novemeber.

September 12, 2005

There are a LOT of different kinds of tea in the RainyDayKitchen.  This also meant there are a lot of different tea making accessories in the drawer. The other day, we got an item called the Teastick.  It works so well, we may just toss everything else and get a bunch of them instead.  Go read all about Teastick here.

September 11, 2005

Groundbreaking for the new World Trade Center in NYC will take place early 2006.  Construction is scheduled to be completed by September 2009.

September 9, 2005

Swimming...many of us do it for fun, or to cool off during the summer months.  Some of us train everyday and swim competitively.  Few of us, however, think of swimming for the exercise.  This is unfortunate because swimming is probably one of the most beneficial form of exercise for the body at any age. The folks at Aqua Sphere are out to change how folks think about swimming and exercise.  They have put together a line of swimming gear specifically targeted at helping folks get more out of their pool time.  Go check out the RainyDayMagazine FirstLook here.

September 8, 2005

Smaller, more features, cheaper (then the original)...the iPod nano announced yesterday by Apple will once again get all the iPod folks thinking about upgrading.  We still have one of the original 5GB "classics" around the RainyDayMagazine office.  Maybe it's time... If you want one...go here (iPod nano, from $199).

September 6, 2005

The iPod, like the Sony Walkman, is a personal music device.  However, a lot of companies have come to the realization that, unlike the walkman, the iPod can also be the center of a pretty good music system. Logitech is such a company.  They have been aggressively moving into the iPod accessories market for some time now.  They have also been moving upmarket in the quality of their offering as well. Go read the full RainyDayMagazine FirstLook review here.  We'll try this speaker out in the next week or two and report back on the quality of the sound in our FirstUse review.  We'll also let you know how it compares with the JBL's onTour unit we reviewed back in July.

September 5, 2005

The Art's Dune Tour was part of the PTown Pass for Labor Day weekend in Provincetown.  We had never heard of a "dune tour" and had no idea what was in store for us. We were treated to a wonderful ride out to some of the most scenic, beautiful, and fragile parts of the dunes.  Go read all about it here!  We also created a 360 panorama of a view on top of one of the dunes...check it out here.

September 4, 2005

This was our third Whale Watch excursion this summer.  I guess the third time was the charm because we saw a ton (...I guess hundreds of tons) of whales this time out! This time we drove out to Provincetown and booked a cruise with Portuguese Princesss Excursions.  It was fantastic! The Portuguese Princesss folks actually arranged a full PTown Pass (Whale Watch, Provincetown walk, Art's Dune Tour) for us.  If you are going to visit Provincetown... we highly recommend taking advantage of this combined package!

September 3, 2005

Labor Day is upon us again.  Each year at this time our friend Bill invites everyone at RainyDayMagazine out to the Cape for the weekend. We left Boston around noon on Saturday and got to the Chandler house around 3 PM.  The Labor Day weekend has officially started :-)

September 1, 2005

If you happened by Boston's MFA front entrance on Huntington Ave, you may have caught sight of a couple of yachts sitting on the Museum's front lawn.  The MFA was hoping the yachts outside would draw attention to the just opened William Koch exhibition inside.  Sculptures, paintings, artifacts from the Old West,...and yachts. These are some of the things William Koch loved, collected, and shared in this spirited exhibition at the MFA.  The exhibit will be at the MFA until November 13, 2005.  Check out the RainyDayMagazine review, take our virtual tour (models of the America's Cup yachts , spirit of the Old West), and go see it live at the MFA!

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