Microsoft Surface RT Tablet
If the iPad isn't your thing, and you don't like Android, the Surface RT might just be the tablet for you. Starting at $499 for a 32 GB model, the Surface RT runs Windows RT, the Windows 8 variant that lacks the Desktop environment. With two 720p cameras, a full-size USB port, microSDXC slot and Bluetooth 4.0, the Surface RT has plenty…
Featured Sponsor: Sifter
Our thanks to Sifter for sponsoring the Tools and Toys RSS feed this week. * Sifter is a simple project management tool for small teams. It frees you up to focus on shipping better software instead of checking in on team members. It's perfect for serving as your team's central location for capturing and managing all of a project's issues,…
20th Anniversary Macintosh
The 20th Anniversary Macintosh was released in 1997 in celebration of the company's 20th birthday. Apple manufactured 12,000 TAMs, with a release run of 11,601. The remaining 399 were kept by Apple for use as spare parts. The company was quite proud of the machine. Well, there's one on eBay at the moment. If you want to add a rare, unique Mac…
Rover 2.0 App-Controlled Wireless Spy Tank
The Rover 2.0 Wireless Spy Tank is smartphone-controlled tank armed with a camera, speakers, microphone, infrared and regular headlights that's able navigate up to 200 feet away. This is due to the fact that unlike some devices that use Bluetooth to communicate, the Rover 2.0 sets up its own wireless network to talk to its control device. The rover is powered by…
Libratone Zipp Portable Speaker
The Libratone Zipp is a wireless sound system wrapped in changeable Italian wool. With AirPlay built-in, wireless streaming from iOS is seamless. Speaker covers are sold separately with eight vivid colors to choose from. The speaker plays up to 8 hours wired or up to 4 hours wirelessly per charge. With a patented "FullRoom" technology, the $449 speaker is built to give…
Lodge Guitar Mini Skillet
This mini skillet is designed to bring some rock and roll to the kitchen. Made in the USA, it's even the right brand of rock and roll. At 10-3/4 inches by 4-5/8 inches, some Amazon reviewers claim this makes a better spoon holder than actual Skillet, but hey, that's life in the fast lane.
The Lightning Dock
If you're bummed that Apple isn't making a dock for the iPhone 5, this should cheer you up. Or, perhaps your Elevation Dock arrived just before your iPhone 5 did. No matter, the Lightning Dock looks like a great alternative. Available in anodized aluminum, hardwood, and, of course, black aluminum.
The Magazine
Marco Arment of Instapaper fame has a new app, named The Magazine. The Newstand app is a modern magazine for geeks. It features articles from well-known writers. In fact, both Shawn and I will be featured in up-coming editions. Instead of being made up of glorified PDFs that take up tons of space on your device, Marco's new app is lightweight, just…
Western Digital My Book VelociRaptor Duo 2 TB RAID with Thunderbolt
The Western Digital My Book VelociRaptor Duo 2 TB RAID might just be the mother of all external storage devices. Inside, it packs two WD VelociRaptor 10,000 RPM drives that are user-selectable RAID 0/1 or JBOD. This means you can gain redundancy via mirroring or even more speed with striping. With dual Thunderbolt connectors, you can daisy chain this with other devices…
‘It’s Always Coffee Time’ Tee
Shirts with text should say something about you. As the T & T crew are addicted to coffee, we loved this shirt as soon as we saw it. Printed on a tagless tee, this shirt states a simple law of the universe: It's always coffee time. Pick it up for just $26. Thanks @jwmoreland
Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones
If you're looking for a nice set of headphones with clean sound that are comfortable to wear for hours at a time, check out the Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones. I picked up a set on Amazon earlier this year, and simply love them. They are dynamic, closed-ear headphones meaning they won't bleed sound out around the over-ear cups. They are light-weight and…
Atelier Scissor Task Table Lamp
Inspired by pharmacy lamps of the early 1900s, the Atelier Scissor Task Table Lamp features articulated extension arms that glide on precision-jointed hardware. Built with brass and steel, this lamp can be adjusted with just a touch of the stay-cool ring located on the head. As you can tell from the photo, this thing is simply gorgeous. The lamp uses a single…
Featured Sponsor: Igloo Software
Our thanks to Igloo Software for sponsoring the RSS feed this week. * You start your day, grab a coffee and update Bob. Then you swing by your manager's office and update him. He's like, "Oh. Em. Gee." (He thinks that's cool). Now you've got to update his boss. You get back three conversations later and tell Janice what happened.…
ioSafe N2
If you're a nerd, you know how important having backups really is. Having your data on more than one device, in more than one place is crucial to making sure you don't lose anything in case of a failed drive. But what about a true disaster? Would your external drives survive a fire or flood? Enter the ioSafe N2. It's a network…
The Dark Knight Trilogy on Blu-ray
The trilogy ships on December 4, and is available for pre-order now. This edition comes with all three films, as well as bonus material and The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy. Warner Brothers will be releasing The Dark Knight Trilogy Ultimate Collector's Edition in early 2013, though, so if you're a big Batman fan, waiting might be the best…
Otis James iPhone Case
Otis James is an expert maker of hand-crafted ties and hats. Griffin Technology has teamed up with James to create some pretty awesome iPhone sleeves. Handmade in Nashville, TN from materials like wool, linen and silk, these sleeves come in plaid, with a pocket for headphones and a few cards. At $75, they're a little pricey, but man, they are handsome.
Bikemate Slim Case 3
The Bikemate Slim Case 3 is a bike-mounted case that fits the iPhone 5, 4S and almost any other smartphone out there. Made from dual layered water proof film and a snug tight foamex bag, the case will keep your phone dust free during your ride, but still allow use of the touch-screen. While not waterproof, the case should keep your phone…
The Bobine
Here at the Tools and Toys World HQ, we're big fans of the Joby GorillaPod, the flexible tripod. When used with a Glif, it makes a heck of an iPhone tripod, but it could all be simpler. Enter the Bobine. It's a two-foot long USB cable that doubles as a stand. Bend it in shape, and it will retain it, making a…
Withings Smart Baby Monitor
Speaking of cool hardware that works with iOS, the Withings Smart Baby Monitor brings the baby monitor in to the 21st century. Using native iOS controls like pinch-to-zoom and swiping, the Smart Baby Monitor camera will zoom, tilt and pan to change the image sent back your handheld device — even in dark nurseries. The camera has a set of built-in microphones and…
Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Quadricopter
The Parrot AR.Drone is not the remote control helicopter you got your nephew for his birthday. This thing is piloted with an iOS or Android device, stream 720p high-definition live video, has built-in Wi-Fi, accelerometer and gyroscope, and has a control range of 165 feet. The AR.Drone has 4 brushless inrunner motors that pull 14.5 watt & 28,500 rpm when hovering, for…