GadgetMadness: We find the coolest gadgets first

We were afforded the opportunity to preview the new Dell Streak cellphone prior to release, and our early hands-on review is extremely positive.

Full specifications:

• 5-inch capacitive multi-touch WVGA (800x480) display
  
• Qualcomm1GHz Snapdragon ARM processor
  
• 5 MP rear camera, shoots 640x480 video
  
• 640x480 VGA front camera for video calls
  
• Replaceable battery! (yay)
  
• 3.5mm headphone jack
  
• 3G/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity
  
• 2GB Internal storage, Micro SD slot expandable up to 32GB
  

Dell Streak @ Direct2Dell

We hope those of you who've been waiting for the WiFi + 3G enabled iPad got the spot you wanted in line today! Eager early adopters started lining up this morning for new iPads with 3G enabled service through AT&T. Important note for iPhone users: The 3G iPads use the new smaller micro SIM which means you won't be able to swap your SIM from your iPhone with existing service so be prepared to spend an additional $30 a month for 3G on your iPad. For those of you who'd rather armchair shop than wait in line the iPad can also be ordered online at the Apple Store.

Apple Store

At first glance, these USB light up warming labels seem....silly. Why obstruct your USB port with a silly light up sign? Then we had a closer look at the available warnings:

• On Air (written in english)
• Fasten your seat belt (logo)
• SOS
• Operation in progress (written in japanese, red colour)
• Do not use fire (written in japanese & english)
• Empty bus (written in japanese, white colour and blue words)
• It's Warm (written in japanese)
• Safety first (written in japanese, yellow colour)
• No smoking (written in japanese and english, white colour)
• Exit (written in japanese and english, green colour)

Yep, still silly. Although the "On Air" one might not be so bad.

Play-Asia

Even though we've never reviewed them here (what's wrong with us?) we actually own and use both the Powermonkey eXplorer and the Solio Magnesium Edition Solar Charger and find both of them quite satisfactory. However either of these solar chargers run upwards of $100 to own. ThinkGeek has the budget conscious in mind with the Pico Freeloader Solar Charger, a compact and lightweight wonder that according to the specs provides power of 35 hours on mobile phone, 14 hours on iPod, or 1.5 hours on GPS on a single ten hour charge. What's particularly nice about the Pico is that you can recharge its internal lithium ion via USB in case of eternal winter (no sun). Oh, did we mention it's only $39?

ThinkGeek.com

Super 8 cameras were released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement over their standard 8 mm format. Many memories were captured on this silent format and one can almost spot the distinct look of Super 8 a mile away. Superheadz in Tokyo have designed a digital video camera that shoots "Super 8 like" videos in 640x480 format - the Digital Harinezumi 2. The designers of this camera intentionally removed audio from the recording format and there's no live view when shooting still photos! This unique toy camera isn't for everyone but for those who loved the Super 8 format or a warm retro look it is right up your alley. We've dug our own homemade Super 8 movies out of the archive from 1982 and encoded them for your enjoyment below. As soon as we're able to get our hands on our own Harinezumi 2 expect a full review and comparison to the original format. Full camera specs and product link after the jump.

Continue Reading "The Return of Super 8 - Digital Harinezumi 2 Video Camera"...

While not the fastest USB drive in existence (read 12MB/sec, write 7MB/sec is slow, actually) as of this writing it is one of only two USB drives in existence that actually transform. While there are 2GB and 4GB versions of this drive that have been around for some time, this is the only 8GB version we've seen. Full specs after the jump. (Thanks JJ!)

Transfomers USB Flash Drive - 8GB

Continue Reading "Transformers 2 "Ravage" Jaguar 8GB USB Flash Drive"...

This tiny five-inch lightsaber is perfect for the hamster Jedi in your life. Hidden in the cap is a whopping 1GB of storage! You might require more space to store your files on, however considering how often hamsters are seen using computers this is probably all the storage they will ever need.

"These are not the sunflower seeds you are looking for..."
*waves tiny paw mysteriously*

Play-Asia

Fans of the original "Die Hard" are loyal to the very end - just like Joseph Takagi. Why not display your corporate loyalty proudly by wearing a "Nakatomi Plaza" t-shirt? Just be on the lookout for terrorists - wearing this shirt in the "Die Hard" universe is the "red shirt" equivalent.

ThinkGeek.com

We're back. :)

There's nothing like an evil clown jack-in-the-box to make one smile (or bring tiny children to tears) on Halloween. From all of us here at the GadgetMadness Headquarters, have a safe and fun Halloween!