Cameras
Oprah Gives Flip Ultra Cams to Everybody in Audience, Joins Those Hepcats on YouTube
Posted by Charlie White at 11:55 PM on November 7, 2007
Oprah, that generous talk show host who no longer needs a last name, stooped down to YouTube to join up with the great unwashed yesterday, and to commemorate the occasion she gave away a $150 Flip Ultra camcorder to everybody in her talk show audience. Check out her condescending peptalk to YouTubers in the video above, promoting her show on which YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, whom Oprah says "don't go out much," appeared.
To show how easy it is to use the Flip Ultra, she took it with her backstage after the show, shooting lots of shaky cam video that gives us an idea of what it's like to be stared at by everyone in the room, all wondering if you're going to give even a small part of your $2.5 billion to them. Fascinating. Welcome to the 21st century, Oprah! She's the equivalent of Steve Jobs to soccer mums everywhere. This must mean YouTube has officially arrived, or on the other hand, maybe it's jumped the shark...? [Oprah on YouTube]

Microsoft's Windows Live package has just dropped out of beta development. The released package contains various desktop programs for email, IM, blogging and photo sharing. The Windows Live Mail app will allow for email account convergence between most popular email providers, including Gmail and AOL. Direct Flickr photo uploads and blog writing tools are also included within the software suite. Except for the mildly interesting new package, what else is on offer? Well, Microsoft is dropping brand spanking new email addresses with the @live.com domain.
MB&F's Horological Machine No. 2 (HM2) is a timepiece god. It has four dials, which offer the following measurements: "instantaneous jump hour, concentric retrograde minutes, retrograde date and bi-hemisphere moon phase." That basically means the watch has two date and two time keeping dials. Who the hell cares? It's stunning! Check out its flawless beauty in the gallery below:



In addition to the
Developing 32nm processors with IBM and Toshiba has proved
Okay, technically it's a list of features Gadget Lab's readers want, but you guys probably want them too, right? Stuff like iChat, cut and paste functions and the ever-craved "media disinterest." Anything you want that didn't make the list? Better still if it's genuinely awesome but less likely to happen than Apple
Zipit Wireless introduced its second stab at instant messaging without needing a computer with the Z2. The flip-open handheld device allows teens to IM their pals over Wi-Fi and supports AOL, MSN and Yahoo instant messaging services without any monthly fees. Kids can also sideload photos and their favourite tunes through the miniSD slot, or stream music directly from the internet. The Z2 will set you back $US150, and according Zipit reps, will be available in the next few weeks. [



While I cannot definitively confirm that the CAM-007 is the world's smallest commercial camcorder spycam (see
I can't play the guitar worth a damn, but with any luck the Pac-Man electric guitar would allow me to tap into my inner musician by channelling my dominant inner gaming nerd. Designed by Specimen Custom Guitars, the Pac-Man guitar features a blinking headstock and a variable-speed knob located on the eyeball that can synchronise the blinker to the beat. Unfortunately, the guitar is one-of-a-kind so chances are you won't be able to play one yourself—which is a shame because I would love to hear how this thing sounds. [
The RFID Guardian is a personal, battery-powered RFID firewall that manages tags "within physical proximity of a person," blocking them from answering queries—and possibly getting snooped. Better yet, it can clone your chips so you can switch the signal off and on at your command. The latest version is totally open with a wiki, source code bank and bug-tracker, making an already fantastic tool—given the proliferation of RFID chips
The Work and Play Combo by the design team at Gruber + Schlager features a foldout desk for working on one side, and space for a TV and DVD player/entertainment system on the other. On one side it's all about business, and on the other it's all about partying. The unit "transforms" with a simple turn, which can save valuable space and add a unique look to any room. It is definitely an interesting concept, one that I would love to see go into production. [
Fake Steve's lengthy stream of bile laying waste to the Google Phone isn't simply pure invective, it's actually a mostly well-reasoned indictment of coalitions that trumpets the values of "one vision, one man, one genius." It's worth reading in its entirety, but this is our favourite quote:
Today Lenovo unveiled the first computers to use Intel's fast, energy efficient new 45nm Penryn chips. The newly branded ThinkStation D10 and S10 will offer quad core performance along with a "passive venting system" that helps to cool the system quietly.
The Pentaphone is the brainchild of Austrian designer Robert Stadler and is intended to offer a stylish means of conducting a conversation on your mobile without being distracted by ambient noise. As you might have guessed, this product is only a concept piece at the moment, and it is likely to stay that way until people become comfortable with the idea of looking stupid under a giant helmet-like wooden dome. [
As a guy who produces either way too much or way too little saliva, humidifiers are key to keep from waking up 14 times in the middle of the night to gulp down water. This Umydo Humidifier doesn't just moisten up the place, it adds a touch of class to a room that only a stainless steel quarter circle dog bowl could match. We're unclear on how the thing actually works or where the mist comes out of, but we definitely want one. [
A couple of months ago we discovered that the notion of a 3x Wi-Fi signal boost from the
At MSN Match, a crack group of armchair psychologists (plus one real one) use a dude's choice of gaming machine to reveal the inner reaches of their very soul to potential dates. We take it a step further, reading in between the lines they've already read between. Ladies, a Wii owner
Motorola announced a new bluetooth headset today dubbed the Motopure H12. Along with the charging base and carrying case, the Motopure features Motorola's crystal talk technology (previously exclusive to their handsets) which uses two microphones for noise reduction purposes. 

The problem with taking your Wii to your relatives' place for Thanksgiving is that the sensor bar, much like ourselves, is both fragile and awkward to travel with. This retractable sensor bar helps eliminate breakage by shrinking up into a small and convenient package when not in use. Sure, it's probably not as good as the real thing in terms of being a sensor, but it's pretty much guaranteed not to break when airline baggage handlers go sack tossing with your goodies. That $US25 price tag seems a bit extravagant to us, though. Who do we look like, video bloggers? [
We just got our hands on the the Asus P527 






The Wind Shade Roof is basically a large roof (surprise) decked out with an arsenal of wind turbines that perform the combo power of providing shade and electricity to whatever's below or around it.
The last time we talked about the
Stamp collecting or "philatelism" (as nerds in the know insist on calling it) has never really been all that interesting to me. In fact, I always considered it to be extremely boring. But one look at this beautiful stamp keyboard has changed my mind. There are actually 10 of these keyboards in existence, with each one featuring the stamps of a single nation —often focusing on a royal coronation or a particular sport. Unfortunately, most of these keyboards have been given to the designer's friends and family as gifts. So if you want to get your hands on one, you had best find out who "Andy" is and start kissing his butt. An additional picture is available after the break.
Sony Ericsson just announced its new K660 web-optimized candybar. Sporting HSDPA connectivity, it lets you surf the web using the 2-inch screen horizontally and has custom web shortcut buttons. It also comes loaded with Google Maps for Mobile, although you'll be typing in your location manually as there's no GPS on board. It also has a 2-megapixel digital camera, a music player with FM radio, Bluetooth, and it comes with a 256MB Memory Stick Micro. It's set to drop in the first quarter of 2008 in "select markets," which probably means Europe, but we'll keep you updated.