Get your own WALL-E Roomba!

In Japan, right now you can get a limited WALL-E model of iRobot Roomba 53082. Basically it’s a Roomba with a paint job of WALL-E.

With the extra WALL-E paint job, you can get one of these limited models in Japan for about 800 dollars. You can check it out in Amazon Japan.


This has got to be the closest thing to a WALL-E that cleans your room.  Of course, you can always buy a low end model for about 300 dollars and  create your own sticker or paint job to save some money =)

Gadget Ad: I-O Data Mac Gadgets

Here is a Japanese ad featuring some Mac products from I-O Data. These include:

• Seg Clip - lets you watch Japanese mobile terrestrial digital broadcast
  
• GV-1394GV/M3 - TV tuner for the Mac
  
• LanDisk - 2TB iTunes media server
  
• Hard drives
  
• RAM
  

Gadget ad: ScanSnap Color Image Scanner for Mac

Here is a Japanese ad for Fujitsu's Scan Snap Color Image Scanner for Mac.  

I use to have a flatbed scanner by HP, but using it to scan a lot of documents just takes too long.  After hearing positive things about the ScanSnap, I bought a S300M a few months ago.  So far, it's been great.  It's compact and has a nice design, and it's great for scanning small amounts of paper like notes, receipts, and business cards.  However, since it doesn't have a very big tray when compared to the S510M, I sometimes get paper jams when trying to scan a lot of pages all at once.  So if you're trying to digitize all your paper documents in your cabinets, the S510M might be a better option.  As for notes, receipts, business cards, and pamphlets, the S300M should be good enough.  It is much more efficient than flatbeds and takes up less space.

VAIO type L – Sony VAIO’s answer to iMac

The VAIO type L is a shiny white all-in-one computer currently on sale in Japan. There are two models – 20.1 inch and 24 inch.

What’s special?

• Built-in TV tuner that supports HDTV – It’s capable of recording two channels simultaneously and comes with basic DVR features. 
  
• Comes with a Blu-ray Disc Recorder 
  
• You can connect a PS3 to it with an HDMI cable
  

In a nutshell, with this VAIO type L, you can:

• Watch and record TV (comes with a remote)
  
• Use the monitor to play with your PS3
  
• Watch and record Blu-ray discs
  
• And of course, use it as a PC
  

Take that iMac!

The 24 inch starts at around 180,000 yen (around 1,800 dollars) in Japan.


Source: Sony type L (24 inch wide / 20 inch wide models)

iPhone / iPod touch Tip: Protect your sensitive data with a passcode lock

I use the iPod touch and iPhone as a PDA for work. As a result, there can be a lot of sensitive information like images of business cards and emails.

In the event that I lose my wonderful Apple devices, to prevent others from seeing what’s inside, the iPhone/touch lets me set a passcode in Settings.

What can you do with the passcode lock?
Once you enter your passcode, there are several neat options you can do to configure the passcode lock.

• You can configure the amount of idle time that has to pass before iPhone/touch requires a passcode. So for example, if you set it to after 4 hours, it will prompt you for a passcode after 4 hours since you last used it. This way, you will not be asked for one every time you attempt to use your iPhone/touch. 
  
  
• You are also to configure your phone to erase all data after 10 failed passcode attempts. 
  

Thanks for reading!

Did you know your MacBook has a motion sensor?

Recent Apple notebooks have a motion sensor to protect your hard drive if you accidentally dropped your computer.

The motion sensor can also be used in some entertaining ways such as turning your MacBook saber. You can find the app here, and below is a video.

More things you can do with the motion sensor.

At Maxthemac.com, you can find a list of other things you can do with the motion sensor.



Thanks for reading!

Tip: Resuming watching a video on your iPhone and iPod touch on your computer

If you started to watch a video on your iPhone or iPod touch and didn’t finish, you can resume watching on your computer. Once you get home and back to your computer,  sync your iPhone / touch in iTunes. Select and play the video you were watching in iTunes, and you will see that it’ll start playing where you left off.

I'm guessing this should work with other iPods that a video playback as well.  

Apple Mighty Mouse

One of my favorite shiny white gadget is Apple’s wireless Mighty Mouse. The mouse is wirelss and connects via Bluetooth.

So what’s cool and about it?

• It can be powered from one or two AA batteries. That means this mouse does not require two batteries to operate. Just pop in one AA battery and it’ll work. Plus, it’ll make your mouse lighter, which is great for traveling. 
  
  
• 360-degree scroll ball – Yes, you can not just scroll horizontal and vertically, but 360-degrees!
  
  
• It looks like it has only one button, but it actually works as a two-button mouse. Although it feels like you’re clicking on one button, the touch-sensitive technology distinguishes your right and lift clicks. 
  

What’s could be improved?
The mouse has side buttons so that when you squeeze the mouse, you can launch a shortcut like Dashboard. However, I feel like I literally have to squeeze it very hard to get it to work.

The wireless Mighty Mouse is available on Apple for $69.00.

Top 10 Blog Posts of SWG for November

The top 10 blog posts of Shiny White Gadgets for November are, drum roll please....

1. iPod touch 1G vs. iPod touch 2G: To upgrade or not?
   
   
2. iPod touch 2G vs. iPhone 3G: Which one to buy?
   
   
3. Trying to make iPod touch 2G into an iPhone using CradlePoint’s PHS300
   
   
4. iPod touch 2G can be a phone with fring
   
   
5. SH906i: Sharp’s Answer to iPhone?
   
   
6. iPod Touch Tip: How to take screenshots with iPod Touch
   
   
7. Free 24 CTU ringtone for your iPhone
   
   
8. Mac: Spring cleaning my MacBook + Using iMovie ’08 with an external hard drive
   
   
9. A white charging station with a classic touch
   
   
10. Review: Yamaha NX-U02 – USB Powered Stereo Speaker

Seems like iPod touch and iPhone related posts take the majority of the top ten.  After using the iPhone for a month or so now, I'm now putting together a blog post about a more in depth comparison between the iPhone 3G vs. iPod touch 1G, which I used almost for a year.  Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

24: Redemption on iTunes

I was really excited to find that 24 Redemption was on iTunes except I went to iTunes and I found out it costs $14.99!!!

$14.99 for one TV show that's 1 hour and 42 to minutes long!  (For those that don't buy shows on iTunes, a regular episode of TV show costs $1.99 on iTunes.)

Being in Japan right now, I can't watch it on Hulu or Fox's website.  I guess if I really want to watch it now, I have to buy it for $14.99... urgh!!!