Men Free Blog

Talk about escaping the label of vaporware by this much. We’ve been hearing that holographic storage was right around the bend from InPhase for well over three years now, but it has finally managed to get its ducks in a row and should start shipping the unicorn-like Tapestry 300r next month. The firm had a demonstrative version on display at NAB Show earlier this month, and apparently real live working units will be making their way out to archival junkies in just weeks. Granted, it will demand a whopping $18,000 to get a shipping label made with your address on it, and each piece of 300GB media is $180 — but hey, that’s the price you pay these days to know that you’ll decompose before your data degrades.

[Via The Register]

Read

Thout Design has come up with a very unique way of storing your flatware - in the wall. You can purchase a tile that comes with spots to hold 4 sets of 5 pieces of low grade stainless steel flatware (2 forks, 2 spoons, 1 knife). The flatware is held into place with magnets.

I love the look of magnetic spice holders. This storage system, however, looks too cluttered. The description on Design Public, where you can purchase the tiles for $300, states that the tiles are ideal for small space living. Wouldn’t the flatware jutting out of the wall make the place look even smaller?

What do you think?
Read

In many areas, my own included, now is the time to make summer camping reservations before spots fill up for the summer. Camping is inexpensive family fun and a relaxing way to take a break from this high-tech world.

Savvy travelers can choose a location and reserve a site, without leaving the comfort of their home office chair. State parks can also be reserved online. If tent camping is a big turnoff for you, many state parks offer camper and mini-cabins as well.

If you have more than one camping vacation planned this year, it’ll make your life a lot easier if you streamline your camping gear. That way, when the weekend hits, you can eliminate hours of packing and just grab your things and go.

Be perpetually packed for summer fun by keeping your camping gear in plastic storage tubs. The Art of Manliness has a comprehensive list of things to include in your tub, including sleeping bag, tent, flashlight, first aid kit, batteries, small broom, wet wipes, bug repellent and matches.

Next, create a list of things that you want to bring along, but that you don’t keep in your tub, including: sunscreen, lawn chairs, clothing, toiletries, and food. Plan a simple menu, pack the car, hit the grocery store, then head out into the great wide wilderness for a back-to-nature experience.
Read

Making your digital photos portable and easy to store are made convenient with these digital photo storage devices, wherein you would be able to download your photos into the device directly from the camera’s memory card so that you can reuse the card as many times as possible. These devices are wonderful, especially if you travel a lot.

However, not all portable digital photo storage devices work the same way. Some store you images on little hard drives and some burn them to disc. If you already have a gadget that can store digital files-like an MP3 player, a thumb drive or a portable hard drive-but don’t have a way to connect it to your camera, you need an inexpensive USB bridge to turn it into a photo storage device.

To give you an idea what is the best digital photo storage device to purchase, here is a Top 5 list of the best in the market (in random order).

Apple iPod Video 5th Generation 60GB Media Player - The fifth-generation iPod has more video capability, and several cool TV programs you can download at iTunes. Its 60GB storage capacity is a godsent for photographers as it can hole thousands of pictures. It is very portable, slender, and weighs only 5.5 ounces. However, if you want to transfer photos directly to your iPod, you will need an iPod camera link connector.

Epson P-3000 40 GB Multimedia Storage Viewer - This device has an option of inserting a Compact Flash or Secure Digital memory car to transfer photos without the need of a bridge. It has a four-inch screen, and plays videos and MP3s to boot. It supports JPEG and select RAW files.

SmartDisk FlashTrax 80GB Portable Media Device - This portable media device can transfer photos from a variety of memory cards with an optional adapator. You can also listen to MP3s or watch videos, and it has a nice flip-up 3.5-inch display. The files stored here can also be seen on a TV, which is a great way of showing your images when visiting relatives.

Sandisk Sansa Pocket Media Player - It has a slim design, a large four-inch viewing screen, and less expensive than other portable media players. It has an 8GB storage capacity, which you can expand with the help of SD cards. Picutres can be viewed in a slideshow with background music. You can also use the device to listen to MP3s or watch videos, and can also be linked on a TV.

Delkin eFilm PicturePad - This compact, lightweight, device lets you view, store, and organize all your digital photos. It also lets you view the images through its 1.8-inch color screen and can even support some RAW files. It also has a video jack so you could show the pics on a TV or monitor.

If you’re a person who likes to have his multimedia files to be tucked away in a portable device for a later retrieval, then the Wolverine MVP 9000 Series Portable multimedia viewer is for you.

 This multimedia viewer follows in the footsteps of the Archos multimedia viewer.This viewer comes in varying sizes. You can get the smallest which is the 60GB version or go crazy with the storage capacity and get the 160GB version. All version include a memory card reader that can accommodate all formats. The device also has audio and video inputs and outputs.

One good feature of this is it has an in-line capacity for recording as well as normal voice recording. It supports both NTSC and PAL video modes and has a removable and rechargeable battery.

If you’re looking for an oversized portable media device where you can store all your video and audio files, then the Wolverine MVP 9000 Series Portable Multimedia Viewer is definitely a must-have.

Nothing would be more horrific than finding out that all the files that you stored for back-up cannot be read because it has been dusted and scratched through time. Or you cannot play your favorite computer game because it was accidentally scratched. While scratches seemed to be a permanent defect before, the emergence of the electronic gadget called the Disc-Go-Pod Plus helps on the cleaning of CD’s and removing scratches.

Disc-Go-Pod Plus cleans and polishes the CD before it removes the scratches. A special polish liquid needs to be filled in a tank located at the back of the gadget. This polish helps make the CDs cleaner as it takes off some plastic that composes the scratches. Two options are available for repair, a 5 and 10 minute cycle. For rather heavy repairs one is advised to run the 10 minute cycle and then the 5 minute one.

To test how remarkable this gadget is, try slicing a CD with a knife (make sure it would be cut in half) and repair it with the Disc-Go-Pod Plus. Run the 10 minute cycle and wait. The CD will re-emerge as if nothing happened. Insert it in a player, wait then it will miraculously play like brand new.

The price of this gadget may not be friendly to everyone. Not all can afford $495 for a disc cleaner and this may not be advisable for people with small CD collection. This gadget is definitely not for the causal user but for business owners like Game rental and Video shops that need preservation of discs.