The Latest from Techie Diva's Guide to Gadgets

Crumbinator: Mini Robo Vacuum Posted: 28 Jan 2009 04:42 AM PST This has got to be the cutest mini robo vac ever! Fred Flare is selling the tiny robot desktop companion to clean up your desk, kitchen counter, and or whatever else you need it to do. You simply press a button on its head, and the Mr Roboto will clear any evidence that you were munching on those crunch Doritos at your desk.  Mini Robo runs on AA batteries, and comes in three colors: red, white, and blue. So patriotic, and only $20!

Wearable battery charger Posted: 28 Jan 2009 04:26 AM PST This is the type of thing that makes you look like a bonafide geek. The Wrist Band Portable Battery really exists, and is designed to look like a watch or bracelet so you can recharge your  portable gadgets fashionably. It comes with seven types of power connectors that attach to a coiled cable that plugs into the charger.  It apparently charges your other gadgets too, including your music player, and handheld gaming console so you won’t feel like a total dork for nothing.  The wearable rechargeable battery pack provides up to 3 hours of talk time or 8 hours of MP3 use, and will only set you back $25 if you’re lucky enough to get one.  Product Page

Amazon may launch new Kindle in February Posted: 28 Jan 2009 04:09 AM PST If you’re an avid reader, then hold off on all the other Valentine’s day gadget ideas for now because  the New York Times is sure that a new Kindle is on the way.  Amazon has not exactly confirmed the rumor, but it will hosting a news conference at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York on February 9th. If the rumors are true, the revamped Kindle 2.0 would have a better interface and operating controls.  Boy Genius Report had apparently gotten some spyshots of a Kindle prototyp last year with a slightly different keyboard, a joystick that replaces the scrolling wheel, and smaller buttons. Other rumors  circulating since last year include a Kindle version for college students that would come in different colors and have a bigger screen to accomodate textbooks, although I wouldn’t hold my breath for that one.

Bill to require audible click in camera phones Posted: 28 Jan 2009 03:38 AM PST How do you feel about people taking your pictures without your knowledge? It may not seem like big deal if you’re  caught doing something totally ordinary (although that’s still creepy), but if someone takes a picture of you in a public restroom dressing room, or going up an escalator while wearing a skirt, well that’s just plain sexual harassment and there’s not a lot the law will do for you because it was taken in a public place. I know, shocking! Luckily, a new bill being introduced by New York  Representative Peter King called the Camera Phone Predator Alert Act would require that all new camera phones make an audible sound when a photo is being taken to alert the unsuspecting victims. The bill is meant to protect children and adolescents who ” have been exploited by photographs taken in dressing rooms and public places with the use of a camera phone,”  but I can see how an audible clicking sound will also alert women of any perverts taking pictures up their skirts–watch this video. Not that this will solve the problem of upskirting, but it will at least discourage amateur idiots from getting their shot. Salon has a good article regarding the “downblousing” and “upskirting” problem in the U.S. that will shock you. Pesonally, I’ve never had any problems with the shutter sound my camera makes or ever bothered to disable it, but then again, I’m not going around taking candid pictures of people in public.  I’m hoping this bill passes, and in the process, raise even more awareness on how we can all deal with today’s voyeuristic pervs. What do you think?

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