Every so often you stumble upon a website so cool that you feel compelled to SPAM everyone in your address book. No doubt an amazing find that I owe to a friend of mine. As tech news and new gadgets are in a traditional quiet period, resting up after holiday momentum and rapid releases, I feel compelled to provide you with some programming and design genius.

Please enjoy this little piece of animated art. And, I have no idea what language this is in, but it won’t matter. Just think of it as a webmaster’s best joke on senior management and frustrated customers!

Click here for a brilliant 60 second experience.

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Why didn’t I have this BEFORE I dropped my cell phone in the toilet, BEFORE my daughter lost hers at the movies and BEFORE my huband’s phone was stolen from his car? All that lost time re-entering our info.

If we’d had the Sim Card Backup gadget we could have replicated our contacts onto another SIM card. The device has 16KB of storage which is enough for 500 telephone records. The memory is organized in 2 different SIM Cards data storage banks.

I’d pay hundreds of dollars for this gadget but you can pick it up for only $14.99 at Think Geek.

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GelaSkins are thin protective covers for your Mac laptops, iPods, iPhones, etc. I’ve heard about them before but saw them again on Dave Cross’ blog.

I’ve been wary of actually using protective cases for my MacBook Pro, except for sleeves and bags but to put something that will be more or less on it for the duration of it’s life is something that I wasn’t sure I’d like to do. The main reason being that it actually destroys the aesthetics of the MacBook Pro. I like the design very much and as much as possible to not want to add to it.

However GelaSkins caught my eye. It’s not as obtrusive as other cases and has the element of art. So if you want your Mac to stand out this is a good way of doing so. One of the problems I see with this is that it will protect against scratches but nothing more drastic than that. Then again, that’s where the sleeve and padded bag come in.

I love the designs of GelaSkins, they’re very artsy. It’s a good way of being unique. If you’re tired with it, you can simply peel it off and they say it won’t leave any residue.

Check out GelaSkins on their web site. They also have a blog here.

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I haven’t seen any real karaoke joints in the states, certainly nothing like the place depicted in the movie Lost in Translation. In my experience, karaoke is something that happens as an after-thought in dingy suburban bars and restaurants, and even there I think the novelty of the idea has largely worn off.

Apparently, even in Japan, where interest in karaoke peaked in 1996, the idea is waning in popularity, leading some businesses in recent years to try putting a new spin on the concept to revive interest. Aria Blu in Tokyo offers private karaoke rooms with a serene, classy ambiance, a far cry from standard karaoke boxes which can be devoid of personality. Each karaoke room at Aria Blu has a theme (for instance, “Hollywood”, “botanical,” and “lagoon”), and gourmet meals prepared by real chefs are served to make it both a dining and entertainment experience (leading people away from the usual tradition of eating in one place and seeking entertainment in another). Aria Blue targets people in their 20s and 30s, though it also attracts business people looking for a venue for company parties, as well as families with young children.

Other establishments offer foot spas and jacuzzis, or anime-themed rooms and meals. Apparently, a leading cause of the slump in the karaoke industry is the competition from electronic gadgets, which takes up more and more of young people’s entertainment budget and time.

Source: The Nikkei Weekly (subscription)

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I haven’t seen any real karaoke joints in the states, certainly nothing like the place depicted in the movie Lost in Translation. In my experience, karaoke is something that happens as an after-thought in dingy suburban bars and restaurants, and even there I think the novelty of the idea has largely worn off.

Apparently, even in Japan, where interest in karaoke peaked in 1996, the idea is waning in popularity, leading some businesses in recent years to try putting a new spin on the concept to revive interest. Aria Blu in Tokyo offers private karaoke rooms with a serene, classy ambiance, a far cry from standard karaoke boxes which can be devoid of personality. Each karaoke room at Aria Blu has a theme (for instance, “Hollywood”, “botanical,” and “lagoon”), and gourmet meals prepared by real chefs are served to make it both a dining and entertainment experience (leading people away from the usual tradition of eating in one place and seeking entertainment in another). Aria Blue targets people in their 20s and 30s, though it also attracts business people looking for a venue for company parties, as well as families with young children.

Other establishments offer foot spas and jacuzzis, or anime-themed rooms and meals. Apparently, a leading cause of the slump in the karaoke industry is the competition from electronic gadgets, which takes up more and more of young people’s entertainment budget and time.

Source: The Nikkei Weekly (subscription)

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CES, the big technology convention in Vegas, is only a few days away and companies are leaking hints of their new products which will change the way we live and play. Look at this Liquid Image Underwater Camera Mask which, thanks to a built-in digital camera, will let you capture photos or video of whatever you see while you swim. Just look through the view port, and press the capture button to snap your photos. A crosshair inside the mask indicates the center of the frame you’ll be capturing, and easy-to-see LEDs tell you the camera’s current mode. While you won’t be able to go deep-sea diving with the mask on, it will hold up for depths up to 15 feet of water, so it’s perfect for casual snorkeling.

Rumor is that they will release both a 3.1 and 5.0 megapixel versions, with prices starting at $99 USD.

Via Krunker.

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If you enjoy science, and I do, you’ll probably be interested in Popular Science magazine’s guide to the year in science for 2008.

You’ll get to read about stuff like:

• jellyfish
• Olympics
• the future
• the new Internet
• illegal activities

and more!

Your Guide to the Year in Science: 2008 by Popular Science

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So Santa brought you a Zen V for Christmas? Lucky you. Now get out there and accessorize! Besides a snappy case, you’re going to need a stereo docking system and the ” High Fidelity Travel Companion” for your ZEN V or ZEN V Plus. It’s portable, a true plug and play and you can connect it to your computer, laptop, or car.

As a portable, you’re not going to get to crank it too loud, but it’s fine for an office, hotel room, or den. It has headphone and subwoofer output. The NeoTitanium microdrivers give you that clear, pristine sound, and of course it comes with a wireless remote so you can take control of your music from up to 20 feet away; Play, pause, select tracks, adjust volume, deliver the cocktails.

At Creative or Amazonfor approx. $107.

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This new slim laptop case from Koyono, the Booq 90 Series SlimCase, is like a snake - looks skinny, but can open its mouth really big to swallow up your laptop plus a some of your accessories and files. The dark ballistic nylon exterior (which looks a little overly masculine to me) opens up to a prettier red interior. Lots of pockets on the outside and inside to keep your stuff organized. Its horizontal orientation differentiates this one from the Boa SlimCase, which is vertical. Available in 3 different sizes to fIt 13 to 17 inch laptops, the SlimCase sells for $106 to $136 at Koyono, and now comes with a free Cool Feet Hot Laptop AIr Stand.

More on Koyono products:
Booq Boa laptop bag for the road warrior
Slimmy: the thinnest wallets on earth
BlackCoat now with integrated iPod controls

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I wrote a blog entry asking if the iPod has affected your hearing and in my case I think it has to a certain extent. By coincidence I was reading the article of David Pogue and he mentioned iHearSafe. This is a set of earphones that will automatically regulate the volume of the music you’re listening to. No matter how high you crank up the volume.

iHearSafe can be used on any audio device. This device is especially beneficial to kids. Since they still have relatively healthy hearing, they will benefit the most from this.

At $20 a pop, this is a good investment. I’m pretty sure it won’t give you studio quality audio but for regular use I think these will sound ok. Besides, what good is a great studio quality earphones if you can’t hear right?

Check iHearSafe out here.

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