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MagnetU connects you with similar people in your area, because diversity is overrated
You could make friends the old fashioned way, with casual introductions, eye contact and other intrinsically human social skills; or you could just sit back and let MagnetU do all the heavy lifting for you. The Israeli startup, founded in 2010, has just unveiled what it calls a "proximity networking" device -- a tiny accessory that connects users to other like-minded people within their immediate vicinity. Within this lightweight gadget lies information on a user's "social desires," which can be customized and modified depending on a given situation. If you're at a networking event, for example, you can activate your "business" profile, before switching into the grossly mistitled "social" mode once you walk into a bar. Once activated, the device will automatically scan for other users within your area, comparing your data against theirs. If it finds a match, both misfits will be notified with a text message that provides details on their level of compatibility. At that point, it's up to you to exchange furtive glances and do the whole "Come here often?" Kabuki routine. The tool could also open up new marketing avenues for retailers, though MagnetU plans to begin rolling out its $24 device at college campus events, where more traditional social lubricants are few and far between.
Screen Grabs: Someone named Jesse McCartney uses his Motorola Flipout to stare at some poor girl's backside
Pop musicians have been endorsing products as long as they've existed (who could forget Beatles toothpaste, Ricky Nelson hand sanitizer, or Enrico "The Great Caruso" Caruso-brand horse polish?), but for some reason the convergence of the two never fails to amuse (and annoy) us. Even more so when sensible boy band yelper Jesse McCartney, um, flips out his Motorola Flipout Android phone to surreptitiously film some hard working dancer's backside. Is that how a celebrity should act? We think not! Video after the break (if you really want to, that is).
Crapgadget: brick satellite covers, ladybug card readers and more laughable abominations
You know what's lamer than the thought of just how close 7:00AM on a Monday morning is from now? These five gadgets. Things are really neck-and-neck in this edition of the world's poorest attempts in the consumer electronics space, with everything from a brick-colored satellite dish cover (is drunk designing the new drunk dialing?), a ladybug-shaped multicard reader and a carpal tunnel-inducing aircraft mouse. Oh, and lest we forget the "Big Time" watch table and cellphone wristband, both of which are also very worth candidates for this round's most pitiful. Give each a look below, and after you're through chuckling / vomiting, exercise your right to vote on the best (worst?) below.Read - Brick-colored dish coverRead - Ladybug multicard readerRead - USB aircraft mouseRead - Giant watch tableRead - Gadget wristband %Poll-17084%
Nintendo of Canada lames up gaming with Get Up and Play site
Aside from the occasional oddity, it's not commonplace for video games to actually involve, well, getting up off the couch. With Wii Fit and Wii Sports in Nintendo's entourage, however, the company seems determined to develop games that involve physical activity.Nintendo of Canada decided to go a step farther with this approach by creating a website called "Get Up and Play." Not only is the site designed to inspire movement, but also a thing you may have heard of called family togetherness.The site boasts weekly challenges on the weekends, with printable "Victory Certificates" (um, yay?). Things at stake include taking out the garbage, or setting the table for the week. Oh, and don't forget to "eat healthy snacks like dried fruit and granola bars" while you play.We're completely in support of healthy lifestyles, but we don't need "Family Challenge Badges" and other crappy things for inspiration. That kind of stuff is just scary. In fact, we're very, very afraid. Please hold us.
Philips skimps out on SA4000 / 02 DAP
Tired of things getting smaller, faster, more capacious, and altogether better? If you're looking for the bare minimum in a portable audio player (or just need a stopgap until that elusive 6G iPod drops), Philips has you covered. The SA4000 / 02 is about as average as a DAP can possibly get, and manages to pack in just 512MB of storage capacity (albeit of the NAND variety), two lines of text on the 32 x 128 pixel LCD, support for MP3, WMV, and WAV, mono line-in recording, USB 2.0 connectivity, and a set of token white earbuds. While the display boasts a "seven color backlight," we've seen more impressive screens on USB flash drives, and moreover, the device only musters 10 hours of playback from a AAA cell. We aren't certain what this blast from the not-so-distant past will run you, but if you truly do get what you pay for, we can't imagine it being much.[Via DAPreview]
