Regardless of your age, it's hard to deny that The Hunger Games books were a huge cultural phenomenon. Everyone was reading them and commenting on the trilogy that follows heroine Katniss Everdeen on the adventure of a lifetime that ends in a world-changing event. The first film is out on Blu-ray. The two-disc set includes the film, interviews, and loads of extra…
Everyone's favorite English folk rock band has a new album coming out September 25. Named Babel, it's available for pre-order on iTunes now. If the tracks scattered across YouTube are any indication, this album should be a instant hit with fans of the group's unique sound. The Deluxe Edition will ship with three additional tracks. For the Mumford & Sons fan, the…
I'm a huge fan of Threadless shirts, and until tomorrow at 10 AM CST, the company has a ton of great ones on sale for just $9.99. Excuse me while I go spend a paycheck on t-shirts.
While we're on the subject of weather, the Weather Nerd and Hardware Nerd in me are in love with this item. The Ambient Weather WS-2080 Wireless Home Weather Station can turn any home in to a weather station, complete with tools to measure wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity (both inside and outside), rainfall and barometric pressure. The first website I…
Dark Sky is unlike most weather apps on the App Store. Dedicated to telling you if it's going to rain (or snow) in your exact location within the next 60 minutes. Able to give minute-by-minute forecasts, Dark Sky can be the difference between running to the car in the rain or waiting 90 seconds and staying dry. Dark Sky features some of…
I spend way too much time in meetings. I've created several different versions of a [form]http://512pixels.net/2011/09/the-capture-form) to take meeting notes, but I still struggle to keep my notes neat and organized. The Rhodia Meeting Book sets out to solve this problem. The 6.5" X 8.3" book has 80 sheets prepared just for meetings notes. Each page has space for the date, notes…
Droidmaker is a book that takes a detailed look at George Lucas' career from the early days, through Star Wars and on to Pixar. The book is a must-read for Lucas fans and critics alike. Unlike other books, however, Droidmaker looks at Lucas' career through the lens of the technology used by Lucas and those around him to create the movies that…
If you use your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with an external display, you're not doing your neck any favors if the laptop is sitting open on the desk. While clamshell mode is nice, many like two using two displays at once. Enter the mStand Laptop Stand. Made from a single piece of aluminum (sound familiar?) the stand is rock solid, even…
Speaking of computer tools, any technician knows that static discharge can be deadly when it comes to working inside a computer. An ESD mat is the first line of defense against damage caused by such discharge. The PED-655 Engineer's Desktop ESD Workstation is an all-in-one kit to get a workstation safe for working inside a computer or with integrated circuit boards. Complete…
A workman is only as good as his tools, some say. If you work on computers for a living, having high-quality tools makes the work go faster and smoother. Wiha tools are found in Genius Rooms at Apple Stores across the globe, and for good reason. Made with CRM-72 tool steel, the tips on these won't chip or bend. The ends of…
As a kid, I always enjoyed model rocketry. Getting to build something with your dad then launch it in to the sky is hard to beat. The Estes 1469 Tandem-X Launch Set is a great way to get started. For $30, you get two rockets and a launch system, including platform and electronic starter. I can't wait for my son to be…
Speaking of biking, hydration is just as important as getting your bike to the trail safely. The Camelbak Lobo 100 oz Hydration Pack is a comfortable backpack hydration solution with padded shoulder harnesses, a removable waist belt and zippered pockets for keys, identification and more.
With fall around the corner, I'm looking forward to more bike riding in the cooler weather. To get the entire family in on the activity, the Yakima DoubleDown 4 Bike Rack is indispensable. Designed to work with either a 1.25-inch or 2-inch hitch, this bike rack can securely and easily carry up to four bikes to the trails, park or more. AS…
With integrated Bluetooth v2.1, the Vers 1Q is a speaker built in to a 3" wood cube with a 30’ range and estimated 10+ hours of battery life. The speaker itself is mono, but when used with a second 1Q, transforms into a 13-watt, stereo sound system. The Kickstarter campaign has been successful, with the team behind the 1Q blowing past their…
Your watch should make a statement about you, and if you're a nerd, the DBC30-1 Databank Digital Watch might just be the statement for you. This watch first went on sale in November 1974. Complete with a 30-page databank, an 8-digit calculator, five multi-function alarms, and a stopwatch function, the DBC30-1 screams "I'm nerdy" in a way that girls will love people…
While the Tools and Toys crew is solidly in the Apple ecosystem, we extend both grace and forgiveness to those in the Windows world. If the PC is your thing and you're looking for an ultrabook, the Samsung Series 9 looks hard to beat. With a 13-inch screen, Intel i5 processor, 4 GB RAM and a 128 GB SSD, it's speedy and…
The Twelve South Compass Stand is my iPad's home during the work day. I have the aluminum stand open to my right, with my iPad 3 and Bluetooth keyboard ready to go. The stand really is great. Think of it as an easel for your iPad. Weighing in at 8.8 ounces, it's sturdy enough for me to know my iPad isn't going…
If you have $1,000 or so to spend on a computer, an Mac mini or MacBook Air would be a great choice, but if you have $1,000 or so to spend on a computer and you want to buy something both awesome and rare, this Bell & Howell Apple II Plus is the machine for you. The B&H II Pluses were sold…
If you're concerned about your files not surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, worry no more. The Corsair Flash Survivor USB 3.0 32GB Drive promises to survive just about anything. Just check out these specs: Water proof to 200 meters Vibration and shock resistant High performance with USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 Plug-n-Play compatible Max Read (USB 3.0) 80MB/sec Limited 5 year warranty Max…
With clicky keyboard being all the rage these days,, many have picked up older Apple keyboards, as opposed to dropping serious money on new hardware. The Griffin iMate ADB/USB Adapter makes using a keyboard like the Apple Extended II easy to do. This adaptor will accept an ADB cable on one end, and plug right in to a USB port on the…