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Aluratek Libre eBook Reader Pro Launches

Ali — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:28:50 +0000

Another day another ebook reader….this latest one is from Aluratek and called the Libre eBook Reader Pro available in white and black. The Libre is yet another competitor to the Kindle and supports up to 32GB of SD memory so you can carry around with you digitally about 1000 or more copies of The Stand. The Libre also utilizes epaper technology for an easy on the eyes, paper-like 5″ display. In addition the Libre eBook also doubles as an MP3 player with background play support if you like a little music while you read. Another nice touch is the free 100 books that come included on the 2GB memory card – Wuthering Heights, Wizard of Oz, Moby Dick, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are just a taste of the selections included. The Aluratek Libre eBook retails anywhere from $189.99 to $179.99 at various retailers including Amazon.

Sungale’s Cyberus ID700WTA is a Touchscreen Color e-Book, take that Nook!

Ali — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:03:00 +0000

Another day another ebook reader that does it all. Sungale’s new Cyberus ID700WTA “Smart Info Engine” is the 1st and only universal portable media player device that offers a large 7” LCD color screen and a user friendly touch-screen interface that allows instant one-touch access to read eBooks, watch movies, stream video, upload, view and manipulate digital photos, listen to music, and take advantage of Wi-Fi applications such as checking the current weather report by zip code, RSS feeds for news updates, G-Mail alerts, and YouTube. And is it just us or doesn’t that screen look a bit like an iPod Touch or iPhone display with apps… hmmm . The Sungale 7″ Touchscreen ID700WTA retails for $239 at Amazon.

Ocean Theater Makes You Long for Summer Beach Weather

Chip Chick — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:40:15 +0000

Long for summer and the beautiful oceans? Well the Ocean Theater brings it home to you. The Ocean Theater is a dome that displays beautiful imagery of the ocean and the creatures within it. When the dome is closed images appear directly on the gadget. If you want to turn your whole living room into an ocean – just take off the face and it becomes a projector displaying the ocean on your walls along with fishes in it. You can also use the Ocean Theater as a music player for your iPod or any other device with the Audio in jack. Not a bad escape when its cold, windy and rainy outside. Now all you are missing is a Mai Tai. The Ocean Theater retails for $234 at Japan Trend Shop.

Terminator Salvation Skull Box Blu-Ray Edition

Ali — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:07:17 +0000

Even if you want to hate on Terminator Salvation there is no denying that the packaging for the Blu-ray version in the UK is pretty awesome. The Terminator Salvation Skull Box is a UK exclusive sadly and it comes with an awesome Endoskeleton case that holds the Blu-ray discs. The detail is all there and is actually intimidating, even if the case does nothing but stare at you. The Terminator Salvation Skull Box retails for £54.99 (US $89.74). Check out the the case in action here.

Piper-Heidsieck Le Rituel par Christian Louboutin Includes High Heel Shaped Champagne Glass

Ali — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:26:07 +0000

Its quite unreal that Halloween has passed and now Thanksgiving is just three weeks away. Soon it will be Christmas and then New Years. So if you are looking to ring in the new year ( and decade)on a high note how about this extremely gaudy and expensive bottle of wine called Piper-Heidsieck Le Rituel. What makes it so special? Well it comes paired with a Christian Louboutin champagne flute shaped like a high heel shoe. This concept is a new twist on an old tradition of drinking out of a champagne filled slipper in order to celebrate a ballerina’s successful performance. I actually would love to see anyone drink out of this thing or it could actually make a great ice pick. The Piper-Heidsieck Le Rituel par Christian Louboutin retails for $500 and is set to ship after December 1st.

Nerdcore 2010 Calendar Features Horror, Sci-Fi, and Babes

Chip Chick — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:38:06 +0000

Nerdcore has done it again and taken scantily clad or rather not clad women at all and put them into Horror movie and Sci-fi classics for their upcoming 2010 calendar.The image to the left is basically all we can show you of this calendar. However geeks will be glad to know that not only will standard holidays be denoted in the calendar, but holidays like major movie releases, Comic-Con, and favorite horror movie actor birthdays are too. I still don’t get why there can’t be any sexy males in this calendar. I mean there are alot of female nerds now too! I digress..You can pre-order the Nerdcore 2010 Calendar for $25 dollars and maybe this time next year, you can have a bloody Horror pinup for Halloween.

[Via]

La-Z-Boy Gets into a Drunk Driving Accident

Ali — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:33:31 +0000

Anyone interested in a pimped out La-Z-Boy? The police department in the small Minnesota town of Proctor will be putting up a motorized lounge chair for auction next week after it was seized in a drunk driving incident. No, this wasn’t in the trunk of the drunk drivers car, but it was actually used as the vehicle. It appears that 62-year-old Dennis LeRoy Anderson left the bar on his chair after drinking eight or nine beers. It also appears that Dennis had been using this chair as a transportation vehicle. The black and blue pleather lounge chair, pictured is from an undated police handout but comes complete with stereo, footrest, cupholders, headlights, a nitrous oxide power boost system, drag racing style steering wheel and a parachute. Dennis was arrested after smashing into a parked car. The incident happened last year and now the chair is finally being put on the auction block in Proctor, Minnesota.

[Via]

Come Meet Chip Chick and Other Tech Bloggers in New York This Weekend

Chip Chick — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:10:26 +0000

To celebrate the Windows 7 launch tomorrow, Microsoft and HP have teamed up together to bring a bunch of editors from different tech blogs from around the country on a special New York City tour. On Friday, together with representative from HP and Microsoft, we’ll be visiting several retail locations around New York City where we will demo some of the latest HP devices designed especially for Windows 7. This is a great opportunity to meet some of the folks behind the blogs you read daily, and it’s also a great opportunity to ask HP and Microsoft any questions that you might have about Windows 7.

Below is a list of our scheduled retail location visits for Friday and Sunday, as well as a list of participating bloggers. But We’ll also be tweeting (@chip_chick) throughout the day with updates on our location, so please come by and say hello!!

Friday – Store Visits in NYC:

Sunday – Store Visit to B&H Photo: late morning/afternoon

Participating Bloggers:

• Judie Lipsett, geardiary.com

• Helena Stone, chipchick.com

• Maegan Ortiz, vivirlatino.com

• Andru Edwards, gearlive.com

• Xavier Lanier, notebooks.com

• Sal Cangeloso, geek.com

• Larry Abrams, bleepingcomputer.com

• John Obeto, absolutelywindows.com

* Hector Russo, geeksroom.com

Alex E-Book Gets Touched by Google Android

Ali — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:06:21 +0000

I was just saying how I don’t get this whole e-book craze but then Alex came along and hit me upside the head with its awesomeness. Spring Design today announced Alex, the first e-book to be based on Google Android and integrated with full browser capabilities, along with a sexy screen dual screen. Links to multimedia as well as its combination of monochrome and color dual displays add a whole new dimension to this whole e-book phenomena. Alex will be capable of full internet browsing, connectivity via Wi-Fi, 3G, EVDO/CDMA and GSM. Alex also sports a 6″ E-Ink EPD display and 3.5″ color LCD display, and SD card slot for adding more to your portable library. Expect Alex to make its debut sometime by the end of this year. I’m sure it will make its appearance in some form at CES 2010.

WikiReader Puts Wikipedia in Your Pocket, Sans Internet

Chip Chick — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:25:17 +0000

WikiReader is the first pocketbook electronic device dedicated to containing all of Wikipedia’s English database. The Wikireader can easily slip in your bag, and almost slip in your pocket. The device sports a touchscreen monochrome display that although not very bright, it is easy to navigate and it will even operate in sunlight. Navigating the device’s touchscreen is easy, you can scroll through articles with the stroke of a finger and select hyperlinks with a simple tap. On the face of the device are three dedicated buttons – Search, History, and Random. The WikiReader also turns on instantly and will run for months before needing its two AAA batteries to be replaced.

One of the aspects that makes Wikipedia so unique is the fact that its data is always dynamic with users constantly updating and editing entries. However, the WikiReader does not connect to the internet wirelessly for updates. Quarterly updates will be available for users to download on to the device, or for a $29 per year fee, the company will send updates to users on microSD cards.

In a lot of ways, the WikiReader reminds us of those electronic dictionaries and thesauruses that were popular in the late 90s. The WikiReader will retail for $99 and it seems to be especially aimed at older generations, students and kids. Either way, we think that $99 is way to high a price tag for something that people can easily pull up on their mobile phones or Wi-Fi capable device when they’re on the go. After all, there already is a mobile phone optimized version of Wikipedia. That said the device is well done, and we can see some of our parents using this device – but they definitely wouldn’t pay $99 for it. Especially in a world where $99 gets you half way to an iPod Touch. If the company can bring the price down on this device, they could do well with it.

Recycled Grenade Bug Bomb Makes Peace Not War

Ali — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:11:13 +0000

Looking at this piece of art reminds me of when hippies put flowers in the barrels of guns. The Recycled Grenade Bug Bomb from Perpetual Kid is handmade by artist Fred Conlon. Consisting of recycled components, this creepy looking fly sports a grenade for its body, bent screws for legs, and pieces of smooth metal for wings. Fly or grenade, its still kind of creepy looking, but atleast something that could kill gets another chance at being somebody else’s art. The Recycled Grenade Bug Bomb retails for $49.99.

Burger King Gets A Make-Over with TV Screen Menus

Chip Chick — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:28:55 +0000

If you were a fan of the Whopper but didn’t care much for that scary King who menaced innocent folks, then you may find yourself making your way to the home of the Whopper once again afterall. Burger King will be renovating their 12,000 locations worldwide with a new design called 20/20. The new interior will include rotating red flame chandeliers, TV-screen menus and industrial-inspired corrugated metal and brick walls. This new look is a fusion of retro styling meets modern design .In Miami 60 stores of the chain have already gone under the ‘knife’ and Burger King hopes sales will increase or at least give a new image to a your typical fast food chain. Personally I’ll just go in to play with the TV-screen menus.

Lego Minifigures Get Second Lives as Flashlights

Chip Chick — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:10:59 +0000

Looking for a little extra lighting? Lego can help you out with five new Lego branded items, the Lego Brick Light, the Lego Dynamo Rechargeable Flashlight, the Lego LED Clip on Light/Head Lamp, and the Lego LED Torch Flashlight. I’ll start with the most unique of the bunch which is the Lego LED Clip on Light/Head Lamp. It features a LEGO Minifigure which can be clipped on to your jacket, backpack, or jean pocket. You can also utilize the included headband – how nerdy delicious. There are two LED white lights on the bottom of each foot which will light your way and are poseable. The Lego LED Clip on Light / Head Lamp retails for $11.99.

The Lego LED Torch Flashlight is also a Minifigure all grown up and now a torch flashlight. It too has lights on the bottom of its feet which are poseable. I dare you to use this is in a blackout! The Lego LED Torch Flashlight retails for $19.99.

The Lego Lantern is a perfect companion for camping trips or just to have! Its body illuminates to offer 360 degree lighting with its built-in 4 white LED lights. The best part is the handle which is a swing. The Lego LED Lantern costs $19.99. The Lego LED Dynamo Rechargeable Flashlight is perfect for those who don’t want to deal with batteries. Just crank the minifigs arm and its built-in electric generator will keep the lights on. Once again the LEDs are on the bottom of the feet. The Lego LED Dynamo Rechargeable Flashlight retails for $22.99.

Last but not least, the Lego Brick Light is perfect to stick places that need extra lighting. It’s suitable for closets or in dark corners where light is needed. Just place this little brick wherever you see fit and let the light shine in. Unfortunately, it isn’t available at the moment but will be coming soon and it will retail for $16.99.

So there you have it, lots of Lego goodness for the kid in you. Who says Legos are only meant for building things.

Sharpie Lets Loose on a Honda Sportsbike

Chip Chick — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:33:52 +0000

There are multiple uses for a Sharpie, but I guess I never pictured someone using it to design their motorcycle! Sharpie is sponsoring Sharpieuncapped.com, a place for folks to go to upload their Sharpie masterpieces. One such Sharpie piece of work is a a Honda Sportbike, which got a full on Sharpie tagging. Friends Jesse Lockhart and Nick Schuman took it upon themselves to to use 4 black Sharpie markers and together ( even with 9 to 5 jobs) into the wee ours of the night, they both marked up their $10,000 Motorbike. So why did they do this? Both Jesse and Nick are opening up their own custom paint shop and wanted to do something that would get them and their business noticed. In the end they named it Shiyonin, meaning “Servant of God,” and they aren’t even done ‘marking’ the bike up, they plan to Sharpie the wheels next. They promise more designs in the future but for now its a a secret – I think these guys might have just stumbled into a whole other type of business.

Chip Chick Remembers September 11th 2001

Chip Chick — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:23:17 +0000

Eight years have passed since the tragedy known as 9/11 and yet here at Chip Chick – the reporters and editors remember it as if it were yesterday. In some way shape or form, we were all affected by the tragedy either directly or indirectly. On that fateful day, I received a text message (yes, in 2001 there were text messages) from a friend in Australia while sitting in class, asking if I was alright – I didn’t even know what had happened in the city surrounding us since that classroom had no windows. Minutes later everyone in the city was evacuating. But because I was going to school in NYC and dorming, they told the class we had to stay still, and we did. The city that I love was now dark and ghostly. The next evening, the dorm had to be evacuated because threats were coming in that the Empire State Building was the next target which was right by our dorm. We were told to run to the East River, but it was late and we were already in our pajamas. Worse, I refused to leave without my spiffy new Compaq laptop, so I ran back for it – ha! Downstairs we literally ran for our lives, and some of us cut our feet from glass in the street because in a panic we forgot slippers – but I had my laptop! After a few hours we all limped back and the Empire State Building was safe. But for the rest of the week, stores were closed and the streets were littered with the national guard. Yet we still had classes to go to because what else were a bunch of college kids trapped in NYC going to do.

Ali our Co-Editor, heard the planes go over Staten Island as they made their way into the WTC buildings. As a child those buildings were her favorite to draw and she always marveled at how when you crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, depending on what angle, one seemed taller than the other – so how could they be called the Twin Towers? She ran to Bay Street with her dad and witnessed New York on fire. A dark plum of smoke had cascaded its way over to Staten Island and the smell was overwhelming… She saw the last standing tower bellowing with smoke and then finally it came down. At night it was a scene out of Batman. There were no bright lights in the city skyline, just a few twinkles from office buildings and lots of smoke. She stood there and cried and lit candles as so many other New Yorkers did. Then she got adventurous and went to the city and saw the Super Crane in action and some of the rubble of what was left of her beautiful towers. Dust had covered all of lower Manhattan. The skyline she new as a child would be changed for ever.

One of our other writers was supposed to fly out of Dulles airport that fateful day on the same plane that attacked the WTC but she got delayed. While another was inside one of the towers and ran out of the building while it was on the verge of coming down.

Back then, none of us could use our cellphones to call loved ones and many landlines were down due to overload. iPhones and smartphones weren’t even a blip on the radar. But what we had was each other – friends, family and a nation that mourned the loss of an iconic pair of buildings and the innocent people within them that early sunny morning. Never forget 9/11.

Transfer Your Cellphone Contacts Via Bluetooth to the Panasonic KX-TG9382T

Chip Chick — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:46:45 +0000

Yes, I’m one of those people who still have a landline – it is VOIP if that makes me sound any better. So it really annoys me to no end when I have to go to my cellphone for a number because my landline doesn’t have it in its contacts log – obviously. But my problems could be solved with the Panasonic KX-TG9382T which is the first-ever landline telephone that lets users transfer their cell phone contacts to o the KX-TG9382T via Bluetooth. All your contacts will be at your fingertips without having to shuffle through all your devices for a number. “To transfer a cell phone address book of up to 600 entries, simply select the “Phonebook Transfer” option from the KX-TG9382T’s menu screen, and then follow the instructions for phonebook transfer onto a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. The KX-TG9382T’s menu screen displays each entry as it quickly and automatically transfers each phonebook entry in alphabetical order, allowing users to track progress. “ Another nice feature is that it can be paired with any Bluetooth enabled headset so you can wander aimlessly and still be connected. It’s perfect for home businesses since it is a two line phone with an answering machine and conferencing capabilities. The Panasonic KX-TG9381T will retail for $169.95 and if you want to expand it – it will cost you an additional $79 for each handset. It should be popping up at Amazon later this month. Not bad Panasonic, you may have just given the landline a new lease on life.

Yoggie and Lenovo Debut Always on Secured Email ConstantConnect and Protect 2.0 Express Card

Ali — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:11:15 +0000

Yoggie Security Systems announced today a new collaboration with Lenovo for a unique laptop accessory called ConstantConnect and Protect 2.0. It is aimed at providing secure email access even when a laptop is switched off. Based upon the Yoggie Gatekeeper security device, the new Lenovo ConstantConnect and Protect 2.0 is a new 34 mm ExpressCard-compatible card and works by providing an instant and secure email exchange. It also acts as an independent miniature computer and is active even when the laptop is in hibernate mode or switched off. “It uses built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to synchronize the host laptop with a RIM’s BlackBerry device and downloads new emails from Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Outlook, POP3 and Gmail accounts to its 500MB of Flash-based storage. The emails are then automatically available to the user the moment that the laptop is switched on.” The ExpressCard will even send emails when the laptop is switched off, if you are the kind who likes to queue them up and send them out late…which I don’t get honestly. The device also has custom-engineered security technology designed by Yoggie, which ensures all email content is safe and provides a full-fledged Internet security suite protection for your laptop. Pricing and availability is still TBD.

Smiley Face Window Clings Display Your Emoticon for all to See

Ali — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:51:46 +0000

Instead of ‘Baby on board’ how about sticking an emoticon on your car window or any window for that matter. The Smiley Face Window Clings uses static electricity to adhere themselves to the surfaces like windows or mirrors. You won’t have to worry about any sticky residue left behind, lest it leaves you with a frustrated emoticon face. Each package includes 15 reusable vinyl window clings in assorted sizes, and they retail for only $4.98. Have a smiley face today.

Monster Outlets To Go USB Worldwide – Share the Charging Abroad

Chip Chick — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:39:38 +0000

For those heading on vacation this summer, you probably could use one of these. The new Outlets To Go USB Worldwide from Monster features a universal adaptor that lets you plug into any international outlet and charge your gadgets. The dual-side design as well as three extra outlets, (which are decently spaced apart for those annoying AC adapters) allow for charging multiple things at once. A little bonus feature is a USB port which provides charging for any USB device including cell phones, some cameras or MP3 players. It’s like carrying around an international power strip for when you go on vacation. The Monster Outlets To Go USB Worldwide comes in black with a suggested retail price of $39.99.

Interactive Displays from Monster Media Get you Moving on the Sidewalk

Chip Chick — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:22:16 +0000

Interactive displays seem to be the new ingenious way for advertising campaigns to grab peoples attention. Monster Media is behind some the most recent campaigns as of late from Dance your A$$ off to Carnival Cruise lines. They have even done displays for Harrods. Passerbys’ get to interact with the screens and make themselves look like fools, but hopefully it will get them to tune into a show or purchase the advertised item. For example, for the Dance your A$$ Off display, viewers can dance along with the images on the screen. Other displays let you touch the screen to interact with it, and some will even let you play games. The interactive displays are trendy and hip and it’s definitely a new way for advertisers to think outside of the box instead of using the same old static ads.