Quick Apple hack updates: The iPod touch is reported to have reached a read milestone for the filesystem. The iPhone’s 1.1.1 firmware has a few apps ported to it, but it’s still not easy for general consumption. We’ll do full posts when more easily implemented hacks are finished. [TUAW]

Original post by Brian Lam

Filed under: Household

We’ve seen some relatively mouse-friendly attempts at a better mousetrap, but Rentokil’s RADAR trap drops all the touchy-feely stuff and brings the pain action-movie-style: with infrared beams, a trick floor, and poison-gas dispensers. Mice are lured into the Rodent Activated Detection And Riddance unit by infrared beams, where the pressure sensors in the bottom of the box trigger the release of a “measured dose” of carbon dioxide, which Rentokil says is a “quick and humane” way of dealing with little Mickey. Once the deed is done, the trap fires off a text message to let you know that the rodent resistance is being dealt with, and prepares to strike again. No word on price — Rentokil apparently only custom-installs the RADAR traps — but availability is listed as “now.”
[Via Tech Digest]
 
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power […]

Original post by Nilay Patel

Blank CD’s are on their way out as a day to day storage medium, and by the looks of things they don’t make for a very comfortable chair either. The inexplicably titled “Panda Chair” was designed by Belen Hermosa using hundreds of disks lined in rows. It may be uncomfortable, but I suppose lying on a bed of flash drives wouldn’t be so hot either. [Designboom]

Original post by Sean Fallon

The Quantum Leap meets Early Edition flavor of NBC’s Journeyman makes it a pretty fantastic show with just two episodes in the can and the third airing tonight. But what’s with the blatant iPhone product placement?
It’s almost a character in itself, allowing the guy to Google Finder-spydeR stuff on the go, check to see what year he’s in by seeing if he has cell reception, and show off to people in the past. Seriously, people would look at him like a space man from the future if he showed that off. Speaking of product placement, what are some of the worst tech-product placement offenses of recent memory? Something along the lines of Jack Bauer triggering a bomb with a Treo.

Original post by Jason Chen

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Ok, we’re not actually any closer to Bug Labs’s DIY gadget kits than we were yesterday, but at least we can start to get a better idea of what they’re talking about, courtesy of these new product renders found on their site. Kind of reminds us of one of those kitchen-mounted DVD / TV sets though, so we’re hoping Bug sexies it up a bit. Ain’t no reason DIY can’t be well designed, is there?

Gallery: Bug Labs shows off new product render

 
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Original post by Ryan Block

If you need a little extra incentive to wake up in the morning, The Mr. Clock Radio may be just what you need. He can wake your lazy ass up in one of 30 different ways—from gentle coaxing to flat-out drill sergeant-syle orders. He can even tell fortunes, read the time aloud, wink and blink, react to light or motion, and play music via AM, FM or iPod/MP3. Just remember that this little bastard costs $79.99 before you go punching him in the face. [SkyMall via 7Gadgets]

Original post by Sean Fallon

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
The U.S. Department of Commerce has certified the first digital-analog converter box eligible for the digital television transition coupon program. LG Electronics has developed a low-cost box which will allow consumers to get broadcast signals to their older television sets using a $40 government coupon. The converter drops higher-end features like digital audio or component outputs, but includes features designed for older sets, such as RF and composite outputs, V-Chip parental controls, closed captioning, and options for 4:3- or 16:9-ratio televisions. The company plans to have production ramped up to coincide with the launch of the coupon program in early 2008, just in time for consumers to remain clueless as to what they needed a converter box for anyway.
 
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Original post by Erik Hanson

Rather than take a long and tangled miniUSB to USB cable with you wherever you go, this swiveling DOCKEY condenses it all into a small, keyfob-sized connector. It’s essentially just the two ends—USB and miniUSB—attached to a swiveling joint that lets you position your phone, PMP, or Bluetooth headset at just the right position to charge from your laptop. Sure, it’s not that great of a product seeing as it does only one thing, but if you really need it you’re going to be happy you have it—much like backscratchers, shoe horns, and smooth jazz background music on a website. [Dockey via Pinstack]

Original post by Jason Chen

The first renderings of the final hardware cases for Bug Labs open source gadget platform are up on their website. As you can see it’s really coming along since the last time we got a look at it. It’s looking halfway decent now, although a little clunkier than I would have expected. It will be interesting to see how the design evolves as the product release approaches. [Bug Labs]

Original post by Sean Fallon

Microsoft has teamed up with voice recognition software firm Nuance to develop its own hands-free text software for use with Microsoft Sync. The software would allow users to dictate SMS messages and possibly emails later on down the line. This would undoubtedly result in far less cellphone-related accidents, not to mention instances where I flip off dudes in Fords. Expect the software to be available in Ford models already equipped with Sync starting in early 2008. [Tech.co.uk]

Original post by Sean Fallon