Mike's List: 97

ISSUE 97 * NOVEMBER 18, 2008
Where's My Sunglasses Cell Phone?

A UK CELL PHONE CARRIER called 3 plans to launch a Facebook-optimized phone. Is this "Facebook Phone" part of a trend toward Web service-specific cell phones? I hope so. But where's my "Digg Phone," "Twitter Phone," "ESPN Phone," "Flickr Phone," "Digsby Phone and "FriendFeed Phone"? A related trend has gadget makers creating cell phones designed around versions of their gadgets. For example, the new Casio Exilim cell phone is pretty much an Exilim digital camera with a cell phone built in. The new Garmin Nuvifone is really a Garmin GPS device with a cell phone built in. And, come to think of it, isn't an iPhone really an iPod Touch with a cell phone built in? So where's my "Oakley Sunglasses Phone," "Garmin Forerunner Sports Watch Phone," "Amazon Kindle Phone and "ASUS Eee PC Phone"? I hope this is a real trend, because since the handset vendors are dragging their feed in building in high-end features into their phones, maybe online services and gadget makers will!

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You could call it social networking for dogs, but you'd be wrong. In reality, it's social networking for you, but using your dog as a "friend finder." A new product called the SNIF tag clips onto your dog's collar. When your dog interacts with another dog that also has the collar, it introduces you to that dog's owner online. Too bad the product will fail.

* * *

The greatest "netbook" ever created was introduced -- wait for it -- 15 years ago by none other than HP. Called the OmniBook 300, this amazing machine had innovations that, if rolled out in a netebook today, would guarantee that HP would own the market.

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Why You Should Get On Twitter (and Follow Me!)

I was on Twitter for a year before I realized how cool it is. So if you wonder what all the fuss is about, hey, I understand. But think of it like this: If you'd never heard of the Web, and you opened ten random Web sites, you wouldn't understand that, either. Why? Because you wouldn't have discovered YouTube, Wikipedia or Google Maps -- only Billy Bob's Web Site and the Carrot Top Fan Page. The secret to appreciating Twitter is knowing who to follow. (And those users will point you at who *else* to follow.) So don't cheat yourself. Get on Twitter by going here and signing up. Once you're signed up -- and for those of you already on Twitter -- follow the awesome Twitter people below. And if you want tips and guidance, read this blog. You're welcome!!

http://twitter.com/mike_elgan
http://twitter.com/steverubel
http://twitter.com/mashable
http://twitter.com/timoreilly
http://twitter.com/leolaporte
http://twitter.com/JasonCalacanis
http://twitter.com/THErealDVORAK
http://twitter.com/TechCrunch
http://twitter.com/guykawasaki
http://twitter.com/hodgman

Microsoft Uses MacBook Pro in Marketing Fluff

One alert blogger noticed that promotional Microsoft fluff bundled with a new PC talks about organizing photos and videos on a Windows PC, but the PICTURE SHOWS A MACBOOK PRO. Let me explain this. Companies like Microsoft either buy stock photos or hire designers, who hire photographers and orchestrate the photo shoots. Designers are Mac users, and most have never actually seen Windows or PCs. To the design community, PCs = Macs and Macs = PCs.

Temptation Blocker Keeps You Focused

A freeware app called TEMPTATION BLOCKER lets you set each time-wasting application -- web browser, e-mail, games, etc. -- on a timer, that prevents you from using it for the time specified.

The Ultimate (But Short!) Guide to Black Friday 2008

Stores profit on Black Friday not by offering goods at a loss, but by using ultra-low prices to lure you into their stores, where they can employ dirty tricks to make money. Because of the economic downturn, both the potential deals, and the potential rip-offs, will be bigger than ever. Here are the 12 BLACK FRIDAY SECRETS RETAILERS DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW! And, by the way: Resistance is futile. You're going to buy a netbook (or two or three) on Black Friday simply because they're going to be so fricken cheap. How cheap? Definitely under $300, and possibly under $200! Here are my FOUR REASONS WHY NETBOOKS ARE IRRESISTIBLE THIS YEAR (and my 10 tips for how to get the best deal -- without getting ripped off).

Coffee Joint Markets with Wi-Fi Network Name

A coffee house in the Netherlands called CoffeeCompany USES THE NAME OF ITS WI-FI NETWORK TO SELL COFFEE. The company frequently changes the name you see when your laptop searches for a new network to goofy things like "OrderAnotherCoffeeAlready," "HaveYouTriedCoffeeCake?" and "BuyAnotherCupYouCheapskate."

USB Gadget Hall of Shame

Irresponsibly, Amazon.com is offering a LIMITED EDITION WORLD OF WARCRAFT KEYBOARD, which is a regular keyboard with a massive, goofy set of macro buttons. According to the product description, the keyboard offers "strategic placement of color-coded labeled keys and one-touch macros for frequent commands like roll, duel and invite, will help provide immersion, mastery of the game and help increase the users actions per minute (APM)."

Japan's Thanko sells a keyboard with bowling-alley style air blowers for keeping your hands cooler. But just in time for winter, they've added a BUILT-IN HEATER! The same air blower (through three vents in the keyboard) now produces warm air to heat your hands (as if my keyboard doesn't produce enough hot air already...)

Ill-Advised Spy Gadgets

The Marlin SpyPen is the WORLD'S SMALLEST DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDER. It records AVI video in color. The Pen plugs into your PC for both charging and data transfer. The 2 GB version costs $64 and the 4 GB model costs $80.

Ever need to hide or smuggle gigabytes of data? No? Well, this is pretty cool anyway. A company that specializes in hollow spy coins -- actual currency machine-hollowed to create a secret compartment inside -- points out that MICRO SD CARDS FIT INSIDE THEIR SPY COINS, including nickels, pennies and quarters. Just don't spend it.

Bad Robots

A creepy robot head named "Jules" talks, makes facial expressions, gets angry and jokes darkly about DESTROYING HUMANITY. (The closer researchers get to realism, the creepier the robots get.) In this case, the robot head is a project called Human-Robot Interaction created by the Bristol Robotics Laboratory of the University of the West of England and the University of Bristol.

Found Video

Brazilian Lingerie has built-in GPS!

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Crazy Cars

A company that specializes in the customization of Smart Cars unveiled this week a SMART CAR BATMOBILE. The company is smart42parts.com, and the car is called the Batsmart. This golf-cart-like Eurocar is designed to intimidate, complete with bat-wing tail fins, scowling headlights and organ-style exhaust pipes. They unveiled the car at an automotive trade show called SEMA. Best of all, they're going to sell 40 of these to the public. I want one.

Flog the Blog!

Diary Of A Madman

Hal - Deliberately Basic

Work Place Stress

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Mystery Pic o' the Week

What is it? Send YOUR guess (you must send name and location to win). If you're first with the right answer, you'll earn the dubious honor of getting your name in the next issue of Mike's List!

LAST WEEK'S MYSTERY PIC: No, it's not a "lunar module," a "floating FEMA mobile home," or even a "NASA Porta-Potty" as suggested by some readers. In fact, it's a Toyota Driving Simulator located at Higashifuji Technical Center in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The company uses the simulator to simulate driving conditions too dangerous to conduct in actual moving cars. Congratulations to Carey Morgan of San Diego, California, for being first with the right answer.

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STEAL THIS NEWSLETTER!: You have permission to post, e-mail, copy, print or reproduce this newsletter as many times as you like, but please do not modify it. Mike's List is written and published from deep inside the black heart of Silicon Valley by Mike Elgan. The Mike's List newsletter is totally independent, and does not accept advertising, sponsorships or depraved junkets to sunny resorts. Mike writes and speaks about technology culture, smart phones, smart people, random gadgets, bad ideas, weird computers, painful implants, malicious robots and the Internet.

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