Gadgets, Gizmos, and Games for Geeks

Sonare Technologies is now offering Babble, a sound processing device that allows you to have conversations at your cubicle or other open office, while preventing others from hearing what you’re talking about. The system scrambles your voice and projects the scrambled version over speakers.

Now it’s way too early to know how this Hi-Def DVD format war will play out, but the early reviews are playing out in HD-DVD’s favor. Now clearly, quality and performance don’t mean a win by any means (remember VHS vs.

In case the Xbox 360 and forthcoming PS3 are too sophisticated for your delicate taste, here’s a chance for you to return to the kinder, gentler, pre-Atari 2600 days… For the low, low price of $19.95 (USD), the folks at ThinkGeek are offering a complete electronics kit that allows you to build your own table tennis video game console.

How would you like to project a movie from your cell-phone or carry a screen-free computer that can turn any wall into your monitor. Israel-based Explay (not with Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb) has plans to release a Matchbox-sized projector can create images from 7″ to 35″ in size using lasers.The

I just went through the challenging process of trying to get rid of a bunch of old monitors, computers and parts for my company. Now, the week after I completed this task, Dell has announced that they will be offering free recycling of any Dell-branded product, ensuring that the hazardous materials are properly disposed of and recycled where possible.

Early adopters of Samsung’s Blu-Ray players are reporting that the picture quality on the Samsung BD-P1000 is better through component then through HDMI. It’s bad enough having to pay $1,000, but to have better quality from the analog output than the digital seems like a serious step backwards.

For those of you who still have a stack of 33 vinyl ablums sitting around, but no longer have a turntable, I bring you Vinyl Killer…. Japanese company Razy-Works is selling this pint-sized VW bus that contains a needle, amplifier and speaker.

I guess that Sony and Honda’s Dancing robots weren’t enough proof that designing humanoid robots was a waste of time and money…. Toyota has now developed a Trumpet playing robot. The world is saved!

2K Games and 3D Realms announced today that the long-awaited FPS, Prey, has gone gold for the Xbox 360 on PC. This game has been in various forms of production for many years now, and was looking very good when it was shown at E3.

For those of you who really want to be sucked around their house in a giant Jetsons’ inspired vacuum tube elevator, your dream has come true. The folks at Daytona Elevator have developed a pneumatic tube elevator that works on the same principal as the one in the famous 60’s cartoon.

Take it for what it’s worth, but Best Buy has listed Halo 3 as being released on November 16, 2006 for the Xbox 360. I’ll believe it when I see it. Read More [via Kotaku]

Now I’ve heard everything. In the interest of beefing up the legitimacy of the league, Major League Gaming (MLG) has signed a team of Halo 2 players to a $1 million dollar contract. The 4-player team “Final Boss” only lost one game during their torunament play last year.

Industrial designer Marc Newsome has created the uniquely-styled Signeo SN-A800 MP3 player. It’s just 6.5mm (0.26″) thick and available in three colors: Black, 1970s Blue, or 1970s Yellow. The device also has an onboard FM tuner and can record from FM to MP3.

ThinkGeek is offering this really awesome LED clock. When turned off, looks like a solid block of wood. When turned on, the display illuminates behind a very thin wood veneer. Dimensions are 7″(w) X 4″(h) X 3.5″(d) and it retails for $149.99.

The Sharp ASV Premium LCD display panel has a size of 37 inch, 1920×1080 pixel resolution and a brightness of 500cd/m2. The highest contrast ratio reported prior to this was 100,000:1 reached by a SED TV developed by Canon and Toshiba.

In celebration of the 15th anniversary of the spiky fella, Sega has announced the release of four Sonic the Hedgehog titles this year: Sonic The Hedgehog Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 (Late ’06) A New Sonic Adventure (title TBD) Nintendo Wii (Early ’07) Sonic Rivals Sony PSP (Fall ’06) Special Edition of Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis Gameboy Advance (Nov ’06) According to Sega: “Fans will be treated throughout the year to special 15th anniversary events, culminating with the release of three original Sonic adventures shipping later this year, as well as the original Sonic The Hedgehog Genesis for the Game Boy Advance.