And for people like me (read: neat freaks) and for those who plan to resell their textbooks after they graduate, the Fading Highlighter would be just perfect. It uses special highlighter ink that fades away like magic after five months.

I know there are similar highlighters with fading inks, but the ones by Pilot (the FriXion ones) need to be rubbed away before they fade. And we all know what damage rubbing can do to your textbook’s pages.

The Fading Highlighters aren’t being commercially made yet, although they’re gauging consumer interest up on Quirky right now, where you can input the price you think is reasonable for it.

[via Green Head]

I mean, we have social sites for video games, artwork, and music aficionados. Why not one for independent writers? But here’s some good news: it’s coming. Or rather, it will come, once the Leebre project gets funded on Kickstarter.

Basically, Leebre is a social community where readers and writers can connect. But more than that, it can provide authors with a multitude of tools and resources to publish their work independently. The site will not only allow writers to post manuscripts online, but will generate eBook formatted content, as well as give their content a professionally typeset look, then release them with the appropriate Creative Commons license. Writers can put their bios and book previews up online, place “donation” buttons on their works so readers can show their appreciation or even contribute to charities.

For now, the Beta site is focused on publishing fiction, but there’s no reason why it couldn’t support any sort of content. I think Leebre will become a very cool site if it gets fully released, mainly for the fact that more people would be able to gain access to literature that would otherwise remain unpublished. I say this, given the lack of resources that many of these independent authors find themselves in.

If you’re interested in supporting Leebre, head on over to Kickstarter and contribute what you can.

When she’s not busy  spelling her name out in pictures, she enjoys sitting down in front of the computer and scouring the world wide web for the latest innovative gadgets and tech news while a whole lot of Taylor Swift (her musical flavor of the month) plays in the background.

Hazel’s first brush with the internet was in a dingy internet cafe at the basement of a mall around a decade ago, where she patiently waited for web pages to load at a snail’s pace on the 28.8 Kbps connection. Sad to say none of them loaded on Netscape (yes, it was still quite popular then) after her paid hour was up.

Hazel has a Chemical Engineering degree under her belt which is a career (and course) that’s as serious as its name suggests. However, for all things fun and crazy, she turns to writing and other exploits to bring a bit more sparkle and pizazz into her life.

Let us end this post with a moment of silence while we remember Princess, Hazel’s virtual Old English Sheepdog that has recently passed away after several years of neglect while she was working for her said degree. May it rest in peace.

Seriously, I could use those few items to craft weapons of mass annoyance. Throw in a sheet of paper and some bubblegum and I was a force to be reckoned with. These days I’m much more civil. This probably has something to do with my time being occupied with gadgets and such. Luckily this $5 Rubber Bandit pen is here to rekindle my love for flinging rubber bands.

This writing utensil works much like any other. Click the pen, and you can write. Click it again, and you can’t. However, if a rubber band is attached, one of those clicks will send the projectile towards your nearest co-worker. Of course, there’s just one question to be asked… how accurate is it?

[via UberReview]

As you will notice, the reports are results-oriented and focused mainly on – surprise – stats, so don’t expect jokes or rants here. Not that those things matter to the target market of the StatSheet Network, but that should still give some comfort to fleshy sports bloggers. After all, that’s the main advantage of blogs over standard news outlets – the informal chit chat. I am curious though if these algorithms could work for other topics, like, I don’t know, gadgets, or video games.

[via TechCrunch via Slashdot]

The Boogie Board Paperless LCD Writing Tablet is made by Improv Electronics and uses something called Reflex LCD, which is a pressure-sensitive, flexible plastic LCD that doesn’t require any power to retain what’s written on it. The only power needed is from a small watch battery to erase what’s been written on the screen.

Would you believe that the retail MSRP of this tablet is $29.97 (USD)? The reason why this is cool is that a single Boogie Board can handle up to 50,000 reuses. That means it’s about 1/16th the cost of paper – assuming you pay about 1 cent for a sheet. The Boogie Board’s Reflex LCD is highly responsive to variable amounts of pressure, meaning that it’s comparable to the experience of using a pencil on a sheet of paper.

All that’s left is for a version of the Boogie Board that would let you transfer the documents off the screen into a file of some sort. Still, it’s a great first step into the right direction. You can order one now over on Amazon.

[via CrunchGear]

On the other hand, if you’ve slept in line waiting for the latest wonderphone, know your Kindle from your Nook and can tell the difference between LCD, OLED, LED, and SED, you could be the one.

You’ll need to be able to source (at least some of) your own stories, and demonstrate both technical knowledge and a keen grasp of the English language. You’ll also need to have some experience using blogging software like WordPress, and be able to do some basic image cropping and scaling using Photoshop or something along those lines. You’ll also need to stick to a regular posting schedule of 2+ posts a day. If you’re already writing for another blog, that’s cool too – you just will need to provide original content for us.

You’re not going to get rich writing for us, but it’s a great opportunity to do something you enjoy, get exposure for your writing, and build up industry cred for your resume.

If you think you’re up to the challenge, just e-mail an appropriate writing sample or two to tips@technabob.com, along with your contact information. Be sure to include a brief e-mail explanation of why you think you’d be a good fit for the Technabob editorial team. You get extra points if you tell me what the Satio, QRIO and Mylo all have in common (besides the letter O).

[image: Journal of the Good Girl]

But if you’re bored, you might want to check out The Surrealist’s comic book Sound Effect Generator.

Every time you reload the page a different set of sound effects are generated. As you can see they’re not really sounds, they’re words you can use onomatopoeically. Although I can’t think of a thing that can *whum*, I do know that the comic below could have benefited from the Sound Effect Generator.

The Surrealist also has other fun randomly generating stuff, like the Reality TV Generator or The London Evening Standard Headline Generator.

I sure hope Cap didn’t listen to the bad guy.

[via The Presurfer]

The model pictured above is for laptops while the one pictured below is for desktop monitors. You can attach the Duo on top or on a monitor’s sides. It has word recognition, motion recognition and supports plug & play via USB. One other neat thing with the Duo is that you can choose which part of your screen to use as a tablet/touch screen.

I’d give you more details but the Engrish on Pen and Free’s website goes up to 11. Overall it’s a promising alternative but I don’t think that this is going to replace a dedicated tablet device, especially for people who draw. It’s cheap all right, but it’s not that easy to draw on a vertical surface (e.g. your PC’s monitor), compared to a tablet that’s resting on your desk or on your lap. If any of you own a Duo, tell us how the quality is. Also, try attaching it to a touch screen monitor. It should explode.

[via Gadget Venue]

You’ll need to be able to source your own stories, and be able to write with wit, sass, attitude or at least be slightly charming. You’ve also got to be consistent. I’m looking for people who can write 7 to 10 posts a week, maybe more if the readers fall in love with what you have to say. A solid grip on the English language is also a must. You should also have at least some experience using blog software such as WordPress, Blogger or Movable Type – and basic image cropping and sizing in Photoshop or other image editing tools is required.

Now before you get dollar signs in your eyes, I’ll tell you that blogging for Technabob won’t make you a millionaire. But it’s a great opportunity to expose your literary talents to hundreds of thousands of readers each month.

Want to give it a shot? Pick a topic that you think will appeal to Technabob readers, and send along at least two appropriate writing samples to tips@technabob.com. Be sure to include your contact information, and a brief note on why you’d be the perfect addition to the Technabob crew.

I look forward to reading your submissions.

Up until now, I’ve written 99.9% of Technabob’s 2000+ stories myself. While I really want to be a total control freak, I’ve realized that my readers crave more content than I can handle all by my little old self. That said, I’m certain that at least one of you out there is up to the challenge of finding wondrous new geekery and weird science.

If you’re convinced that you know your stuff in video games, gadgets, electronics, hack & mods, or generally offbeat techie stuff, you could be the chosen one. You’ll need to be able to source (at least some of) your own stories, have a witty, irreverant or otherwise sharp-as-a-tack writing style, and it won’t hurt if you’ve got a little experience cropping and scaling images using Photoshop, Picnik or the like.

I’ll tell you in advance that blogging for Technabob won’t make you wealthy, but it’s a great opportunity to expose your writing talents to tons of people, and if you happen to write your own blog, it’s a nice way to get a bit of extra traffic.

Ready to throw your hat into the ring? Just e-mail an appropriate writing sample or two to tips@technabob.com, along with your contact information, and a brief explanation of why you think you’d be the ideal addition to the Technabob editorial crew.