You are here: Home / Archives for April 2009

Hand Solo: Cable Stretchers for Single-Handed Bike Repair

By admin

The Park Tool Cable Stretcher is a uni-tasker, but its single job appears to be so helpful that we’ll let it through. The stretcher is a one handed (once set up) device with which to fit and adjust gear and…

The Park Tool Cable Stretcher is a uni-tasker, but its single job appears to be so helpful that we’ll let it through.

The stretcher is a one handed (once set up) device with which to fit and adjust gear and brake cables on your bike. Fixie users, who have neither of these heathen features on their pristine machines, can stop reading now.

If you are anything like me, you tend to grab any tool at hand to do a job, even if it is the wrong one. I once ruined a neighbor’s needle-nosed pliers when tightening spokes to re-true a wheel, for example, and snapped an electrical screwdriver putting up shelves. And of course, kitchen shears are the ideal tool for stripping electrical cables.

So my usual MO when fixing brakes and gears is to use a pair of pliers and somehow try to tighten the nut or screw one-handed. The Cable Stretcher instead locks on to the end of the cable while providing a handy lever to pull the cable away from the fixing. Ingenious, and I’m surprised I have never seen one before.

These things have clearly been around for a while but, as the summer fast approaches, I thought it would be worth pointing out as the fair-weather cyclists get back on the road. Steel with chrome plate and padded handles, $40.

Incidentally, this reminds me of an upcoming project: I’m going to find an old beater racing bike and fix it up into a fixie — complete with top tube pad and playing card in the spokes (kidding on the last two). Any advice would be appreciated. I’ll make a full start to the project when I find the frame, and post pictures here.

Filed Under: Auto, Cellphones, Digital Camera, Gadgets, HD, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Laptops, Media, Networking, News, Video

Hand Solo: Cable Stretchers for Single-Handed Bike Repair

By admin

The Park Tool Cable Stretcher is a uni-tasker, but its single job appears to be so helpful that we’ll let it through. The stretcher is a one handed (once set up) device with which to fit and adjust gear and…

The Park Tool Cable Stretcher is a uni-tasker, but its single job appears to be so helpful that we’ll let it through.

The stretcher is a one handed (once set up) device with which to fit and adjust gear and brake cables on your bike. Fixie users, who have neither of these heathen features on their pristine machines, can stop reading now.

If you are anything like me, you tend to grab any tool at hand to do a job, even if it is the wrong one. I once ruined a neighbor’s needle-nosed pliers when tightening spokes to re-true a wheel, for example, and snapped an electrical screwdriver putting up shelves. And of course, kitchen shears are the ideal tool for stripping electrical cables.

So my usual MO when fixing brakes and gears is to use a pair of pliers and somehow try to tighten the nut or screw one-handed. The Cable Stretcher instead locks on to the end of the cable while providing a handy lever to pull the cable away from the fixing. Ingenious, and I’m surprised I have never seen one before.

These things have clearly been around for a while but, as the summer fast approaches, I thought it would be worth pointing out as the fair-weather cyclists get back on the road. Steel with chrome plate and padded handles, $40.

Incidentally, this reminds me of an upcoming project: I’m going to find an old beater racing bike and fix it up into a fixie — complete with top tube pad and playing card in the spokes (kidding on the last two). Any advice would be appreciated. I’ll make a full start to the project when I find the frame, and post pictures here.

Filed Under: Gadgets

Nokia’s profits drop 90% in Q1 2009

By admin

So, there’s good news and bad news here, and we’re opting to go against tradition by dishing out the positive first. Nokia just pushed out its Q1 2009 results, and while many firms have been struggling to stay afloat, at least it managed to turn a profit of €122 million ($160 million). That said, it’s still looking at a staggering 90 percent drop in profits compared to its first quarter of 2008, where it raked in a mind-boggling €1.222 billion ($1.6 billion). Not surprisingly, sales were also down 27 percent to €9.28 billion ($12.2 billion) from €12.7 billion ($16.7 billion). Of course, Nokia’s far from being alone in having to showcase less-than-beautiful Q1 numbers, but in reality, the damage could’ve been much worse; in fact, shares of the company’s stock inched up by 8 percent following the reveal, as many had feared an even more significant decline. All in all, Nokia’s still holding strong to a 37 percent market share worldwide, and if CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo has anything to do with it (hint: he does), things should be on the up and up here soon.

Filed Under: Cellphones

My First Album [Listening Test]

By admin

Besides some Spanish groups most of you won’t know—Radio Futura—David Bowie’s Hunky Dory was the first album I ever remember getting. I’ve been listening to music through my telescopic nipple antennas since then.

I was 17. About to finish high school, drop the girlfriend who later became my first wife—yeah, first: There are more—and I couldn’t stop listening to one song: Changes.

So I got Hunky Dory and discovered one of the most amazing albums I’ve ever listened to. From top to bottom, it’s weird and wonderful and perfect.


Filed Under: News

Atlona teams with Wisair for wireless USB to HDMI adapter

By admin

Wait a second — isn’t wireless USB, um, deceased? Regardless of what pundits and the industry at large have said (via words, actions, or otherwise), Wisair is absolutely refusing to give up the dream. To that end, the firm has teamed with peripheral mainstay Atlona in order to develop and produce a wireless USB to HDMI adapter. Much like the wired AT-HDPiX, the May-bound AT-HDAiR enables users to connect any USB-enabled computer to any HDTV or projector via VGA or HDMI. The difference? This one works sans extra cabling. The range here is 30 feet, though you can only expect footage to stream through at up to 720p (or 1,440 x 1,200). At least the price tag is just $199, which sure beats some of the obviously more capable options with WHDI chips within.

Filed Under: HD

Univision going HD in time for the 2010 World Cup

By admin

Just when we were wondering about Univision’s plans for HD, comes word that it is rolling out high definition throughout the 2009-10 broadcast season, ready in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. also to be in HD? Video on-demand packages, as well as broadcasts on the Telefutura group, but if soccer / football isn’t your thing, don’t worry, there should be plenty of telenovelas and other entertainment specials in the coming year as well.

Filed Under: HD

Kyocera teases with a combo of concepts

By admin

Beginning at CTIA09, Kyocera has been showing off mockups of concepts they’ve got lurking around the labs. While the hard plastic mockups they’ve shown previously didn’t do much for us, they’ve since moved on to 3D renders – and boy, are they pretty. We’re going to go ahead and ignore the fact that the technologies [...]

Beginning at CTIA09, Kyocera has been showing off mockups of concepts they’ve got lurking around the labs. While the hard plastic mockups they’ve shown previously didn’t do much for us, they’ve since moved on to 3D renders – and boy, are they pretty. We’re going to go ahead and ignore the fact that the technologies required for these handsets (such as practically priced flexible OLEDs) are at least a couple of years away, and just start drooling over them now.

First up is the EOS, essentially a big foldable OLED screen. But its got a couple of tricks up its sleeve: when partially unfolded, the back surface functions as a QWERTY keyboard. As you continue to fold/unfold it, kinetic generators within the device recharge it. Sound crazy? Sure! But that’s what concepts are for.

(Slightly) less abstract is the NXT. Take an iPhone, and pack 4 detachable OLED displays into the body. For good measure, toss a solar panel on the back. As long as you don’t go losing your screens, it could mean for some awesome on-the-go accelerator based gaming.

Want to see more? Core77’s got a couple more shots. [Via OLED-Info]

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Filed Under: Cellphones

Griffin Navigate: iPod Remote with FM Radio

By admin

If you’re looking to put an inline remote on your iPod, Griffin has one new way to do it — and it adds that oldest of old-school wireless music sources, FM radio. Griffin’s Navigate plugs into the dock connector, bypassing…

If you’re looking to put an inline remote on your iPod, Griffin has one new way to do it — and it adds that oldest of old-school wireless music sources, FM radio.

Griffin’s Navigate plugs into the dock connector, bypassing the pesky requirement for chips that may or may not be DRM for headphones. This has another advantage — aside from piping the music, hot and steaming, to your headphones, the Navigate can also display track info in the OLED screen and give access to EQ, playlists and shuffle modes. And did we mention it has an FM radio? Try to stay awake at the back.

You might scoff — after all, this thing is bigger than an iPod Shuffle and it’s just a remote. But Griffin makes some good points, especially about restoring the tactile feedback of the clickwheel iPods to the Touch and iPhone. Apple has gone some way to addressing this with the clicky inline remote on the latest earbuds, but then you are limited to those same crappy earbuds. With Griffin’s widget you can plug in any cans you like.

All this and an FM radio for listening to ads interspersed with the occasional hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Available now, works with any recent iPod that has a dock connector, $60.

Filed Under: Gadgets

NYC cabbies could have cellphone use blocked while driving… but probably not

By admin

The Taxi and Limousine Commission of New York City (also known as the TLC) is considering some changes to the way that taxis and their drivers will operate in the future as part of its “Taxicab Passenger Enhancement Program.” Among the wild ideas being floated is one that would “block” anyone in the front seat from using a cellphone — most notably, of course — the driver. Driving while using a handset is already illegal in New York, but this measure would apparently kill the ability to use a hands-free device as well. The TLC is trying to have an open discussion with New Yorkers on its website about other possible ways to make taxi rides more… enjoyable “in the future.” We’re betting this one will never happen but hey — you never know. Our suggestion? Stop acting like we asked you to cart us to the gates of hell when we tell you we need to go to Brooklyn.

Filed Under: Cellphones