Your Photos Aren't Epic Enough

Next time you find yourself thinking, "I'm just one person in this huge sea of people...even if someone did take a picture (i.e. the Presidential Inauguration) nobody would ever see me specifically.", think again. The GigaPan Epic makes what seems impossible, quite possible.
For instance, let's go back to the Presidential Inauguration . If you wanted a picture of the whole event, you'd have two choices. 1) Get really far away and get one picture of the entire event with very little detail. Or, 2) take a million little photos and MAYBE, if you have the skill, combine them together into one extremely large photoshop project.
But now, there's another option. The GigaPan Epic. Take just about any digital camera, connect it to the GigaPan Epic System, tell the system what to do, and it snaps away taking lots of very detailed photographs of whatever you've pointed it at. Then, the GigaPan software connects and merges all of these photographs into one panoramic picture.
"But," you say. "Isn't the panoramic still going to be extremely large?" And the answer is, yes! The photograph we spoke of earlier concerning Obama's inauguration completed at a whopping 2Gigabytes of space, 220 Canon G10 photos, and 1,474 Megapixels. How could you navigate that thing? Well, the GigaPan Software automatically uploads your photographs to the hosting site where you can use a system similar to Google Maps to navigate, zoom, and move the picture around.
Let's head back to the President's Inauguration for a moment. One man took his GigaPan Epic to the ceremony, hooked it to a railing, and let it snap away. This was the outcome. People have found all sorts of treasures hiding in the large panorama. Treasures like Yo-Yo Ma taking a picture with his iPhone, people sleeping on the lawn, and even as much detail as a security guard's badge.
So, next time you want to pick your nose in public because you're surrounded by people and you think that nobody will ever know, just remember that someone might be photgraphing with the GigaPan Epic and your 2 second endeavor could end up the laughing stock of millions. =)

If You Give a Mouse a Diamond...

Never know what to get for that special someone who seems to have absolutely everything? How about the world's most extravagant (and consequently most expensive) computer mouse. That's right. Pat Says Now sells the Diamond Flower mouse.

The upper case and buttons of this mouse are 750 White Gold. This basically means that out of every 1000 parts, 750 of them are pure gold. But, that's not the best part. The Diamond Flower gets its name from the 59 diamonds that make up the lilly formation on the top. That's right. I said 59 diamonds for a total weight of two carats. Truly the epitome of unnecessary, this mouse retails for $23,250 USD.

In addition to it's makeup, the mouse is plug-and-play, optical, and ambidextrous. So, anyone from your right-handed grandmother to your wrong-handed (read left-handed) three year-old can use it. But really...you're not giving it to either of them are you?

Stay Away From Da Vudu

As most people may know, the video format war is nearing it's end. However, what most people may NOT know, is who is winning the format war. HDDVD? Blu-Ray? Would you be surprised if I told you neither? The real front-runner in the video format war is not any physical form of video. It's the digital download. With programs and websites like iTunes and Netflix, people can buy, rent, and stream just about any movie straight to their PCs, laptops, and even the X-Box 360.

Enter Vudu. Instead of using an external website or program to stream or download videos, the Vudu set connects straight to your TV and your internet. Once that's done, it brings your local video store (and then some) straight to your fingertips. Nifty isn't it? All for one low cost (mostly) of $499 which includes the box, all the peripeherals and professional installation.

So, let's compare Vudu and the current leader in online rentals: Netflix.

Netflix:
Monthly Subscription Fee: $8.99 to $23.99 (depending on the number of DVDs you would like to be allowed to have out at any time)
Cost Per Rental: None. Unlimited rentals and streaming video are included in the monthly fee.
Late fees: None. Keep the movie as long as you want and return it at your convenience.
DVD Selection: Usually pretty decent. Most new releases become available for rent as soon as they're released.
Streaming Selection: Awful. Most of the options available here are at least several years old, bad quality, or straight to DVD selections...or all of the above.

Vudu:
Monthly Subscription Fee: None. Vudu runs on an intuitive "pay-as-you-go" system. When your account starts running low on credits, it automatically charges your credit card for a pre-set amount of $20, $50, or $100.
Cost Per Rental: $1 to $4 Vudu also provides the option of buying movies for $5 to $20.
Late fees: None. The movie starts immidiately after the authorization and you lose access to it once the movie ends. However, you can pause the movie and resume it the next morning.
DVD Selection: None. There is no hard physical copy involved in Vudu.
Streaming Selection: Apparently, superb. If you can find it at your local video store, you can find it in the Vudu selection.

It seems like a not-too-bad deal. So...why should you "Stay Away" from da Vudu? It's just not worth it right now. I currently pay $8.99 a month for my Netflix subscription, and I can play DVDs and stream some videos live, both on my X-Box 360. (Oh yeah....and the Vudu doesn't play video games.) There's usually a 3-day turnaround on my Netflix DVDs. So, assuming I recieve a movie and get it back in the mail the same day (my wife and I usually watch the new movie over dinner and pop it back in the mailbox before bed) I get 10 DVDs a month. Under Vudu's system, that's $10 a month vs. $8.99 for Netflix PLUS unlimited streaming videos. And, even if you count the cost of my X-Box 360 to counter the cost of buying the Vudu system (which, again, doesn't play video games) I still only paid $399 for my X-Box as opposed to $499 for a Vudu. Nevermind the fact that, in order to make Vudu shine in all it's glory, you have to have a High-Def television as well.

So, at this juncture in time, the Vudu is simply not cost effective. Maybe in a couple of years, after the cost of the core system has dropped a couple of hundred dollars, they eliminate the rental fees, allow me to move videos that I've PURCHASED to a secondary system (like a PC, laptop, or DVR), or preferably all of the above, I might consider changing my stance on this subject. Until then, get a subscription to Netflix and enjoy.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

Well, if you're wielding the iCEphone, you'll never need to ask this question again. Although there's more to this phone that its medical knowledge, it's definitely one of the larger selling points. So, we'll set the scenario:

You and your spouse are walking down the street. You're on vacation in a new town that neither of you have visited before. Suddenly, disaster strikes and your spouse falls unceremoniously to the ground. It's late and there is nobody nearby to hear your call for help. You're not very medically intelligent, so you do the one thing you know to do. Call 911 emergency services and wait for the ambulance to finally arrive.

Now, let's pretend that instead of your boring old cell-phone, you were carrying an iCEphone. When you're spouse falls, you hit the ICE (In Case of Emergency) button on your phone. Immidiately, it dials 911 emergency, the closest local hospital, and your home physician and alerts all three to the emergency and your exact location. But, it doesn't stop there. You could still be doing more to keep your spouse alive until they arrive. So, the on-screen indicator walks you through all of your basic first-aid processes with step-by-step instructions and single-touch advancement screens so you can decide when to change steps and it doesn't leave you behind confused. Finally, the ambulance arrives. Now, with another touch of the screen, the iCEphone compiles a handover report that lists every step you've done so far. You arrive at the hospital and the doctors ask you for your spouse's medical history. With yet another single touch of the screen, their stored medical records are displayed for the doctors.

See the difference? This phone just possibly saved the life of your loved one.

But, apart from that, it's still a fully functional cellular phone. With its new tri-fold design and Microsoft Windows Mobile OS, it holds buttons for every occasion from placing a call to playing games recently only available to full desktop PCs. Also, with a battery life of 3 days, it will always be ready when you need it. But, also because of that same tri-fold design and so many buttons inside, the phone can feel a bit bulky and heavy. Why not just use the same touch-screen on the front to house all these buttons digitally? Who needs a full QWERTY keyboard inside when the front transforms into one when you need it? And, with no price announced, will it be affordable to the general populace?

The company expects it to be on shelves in the UK soon. And who knows if it will ever hit the US market.

Moon Dust-DNA watch

After the huge success of the Titanic DNA, Romain Jerome has released its latest creation. Moon Dust-DNA. So, if having a watch built from remains of a long sunken ship, try setting your sights a little lower. If that fails, get a watch made out of the moon. That's right. The Moon Dust-DNA has a face made out of a mineral deposit including moon dust. Not enough for you? The casing is made from a titanium and steel alloy including parts of the Apollo XI and the paws that hold it together are made from parts of the Soyuz space shuttle. Still need more? Fine. The strap is made out of fibers from a spacesuit worn during the ISS mission. Now, if that doesn't get your blood flowing, there is no hope for you. But, if you decide that this watch is definitely for you, grab your wallet and start crying. But, really, how can you put a price on this piece of history? Well...apparently Romain Jerome found a way. Six different versions are available ranging in cost from $15,000 to $500,000 a piece.

Welcome to Gadget Grounds

Another of my new blog ideas. Once again, this will soon be it's own website, but until then, it shall be hosted here.

As the name suggests, I will review some of the newest, most hyped, and most interesting gadgets as they are released. So, stay tuned!