Thursday, February 12, 2009

iBoo is coming for you!

Just some things smack me right in the nostalgia button, Speakal’s iBoo is one of them. The company creates speakers that are functional as well as cute, but their ghost came out looking like it should be trying to consume a yellow circle with a mouth. Have to wonder if it was just a random chance, or purposeful planning.

At $89.99, they are actually the cheapest of Speakal’s products, but the difference can probably be attributed to their being two speakers short and with a less powerful subwoofer than the others.

Still, this seems like an item more concerned with form than function. The sound quality needs to be good to be worth it, but there are no expectations of it sounding like the Metropolitan Opera House.

Pick it up from the Speakal shop in blue, red, or white to add a little dork couture to your abode.
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Dell Wasabi, hot or not?

Dell released a highly portable ZINKtm printer today, which they have dubbed the Wasabi. This tiny printer will interface with your digital camera or Bluetooth enabled cell phone to print 2” x 3” pictures on the spot. A fast and convenient means of getting hard copies of captured moments, but is it worth it?

Printed images are borderless, and on adhesive-backed photo paper; making them ideal for decorating surfaces, or eliminating a step in creating that book of special memories. In addition, since there is no ink, the image will not run if the photo gets wet.

The best feature about this printer is the complete portability of it. At a mere 8 oz. including the battery, you could carry the thing around all day and not really notice.

As far as battery life and paper capacity go, they are pretty much in line with each other. The unit can hold 12 sheets of paper at a time, while the battery is good for around 15 prints per charge.

Presently, the unit comes in pink, black, and blue; you would think with a name like Wasabi that green would be an option. Selling for a promotional price of $99 at Dell.com, it will be returning to the regular price of $149 in the near future. Add to this the price of the special ZINKtm paper (click here to see what is so special about it) and this product may not really pull its weight in the end.
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