I’ve written about water a couple times in the past.  Here, and again here and here.   Water is great.  ”Water is life.” (A point for anyone who can identify the quote.) But drinking plain water, especially tap water, can get kind of old.  That’s why, despite the relatively high cost and seeming utter absurdity of the purchase, I agreed to buy a Penguin.  Even more surprising is the fact that I love it.

The concept is pretty straightforward.  You fill a small glass bottle (20 ounces, or about .6 liters) with tap water, place it in the machine, lock it closed, hit the lever in short 2-second bursts, release the excess pressure, unlock the machine, and voila you have sparkling, bubbly seltzer / soda water.  (Seltzer or salsa?) The machine sort of looks like a penguin.  Hence the name.

Here’s a short video I recorded of the device in action:

As you can see, this appliance has lots of stainless steel, and it feels nicely solid in your hands.  There are no wires or cords, and it requires no electricity.  It comes with 2 glass carafes, and two Co2 cartridges.  The Penguin does use large carbon-dioxide cylinders, each of which lasts for about 6 months (depending of your frequency of use – each cartridge fills about 60 carafes.)  Also, the thing is just fun to use.  I like to squeezer a little lime juice into the carafe, after I pump it full of gas.

Now, if you prefer flat water, this is obviously not for you.  But if you like the fuzzy-nosed tingle of sparkling water, this is a cool, cool device.  I wouldn’t ordinarily buy Pelegrino or another sparkling water brand, so I can’t argue that it’s saving me money long term.  But if you do buy sprakling water at the store with any quantity or frequency, this machine will probably pay for itself in less than a year.  And this is a gadget that I definitely consider “eco-friendly” – especially compared with the possibility of an endless stream of glass or plastic bottles from the store.  You’re cutting down consumables by a huge margin, despite the recyclable carbon-dioxide cartridges.

Speaking of money, this is device is not exactly cheap.  it runs $200 at Williams Sonoma (that’s where I got mine.) Re-fill cartridges run $30, so they’ve set themselves up with a nice, repeating revenue stream. But I think the costs still bear out in your favor, depending on the variables mentioned above.  However, there’s no value you can really place on joy – and this device is joyful.

The WS website (and other locations around the web) offer other video demos, all of  which probably have greater artistic merit than mine (read: better lighting, a superior camera, and a better looking spokesperson.)  But I had fun making my video.  The company behind the Penguin is called Soda Stream USA; you can choose to purchase it directly from them, as well as finding additional recipes on their site (for those that crave flavor.)  There’s another excellent review of the device over at Uber Review if you want a second opinion.

If I were forced to give this appliance a numeric rating between 1and 10, I’d call it a 9.  It’s pretty, it’s functional, it’s green, it’s simple, and it’s fun to use.  If I have a complaint, it’s on cost.  Not because it’s not worth it, I just like my money in my own wallet.

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eStarling makes several WiFi connected digital photo frames, and I’ve been playing with their Impact V for a bit.  I’m impressed.

From the moment you open the box, eStarling does a pretty good job holding your hand and making use of the frame pretty simple.  You have all the usual options for displaying pictures that past digital frames have lead us to expect, including memory card slots that accommodate a couple different card types (SD, MS, MMC.)  But what’s way more interesting to me is the wireless and social mechanisms for displaying pictures.

When you pull the device out of the box, a greeting card immediately invites you to plug in the frame and connect it to your wifi connection (beware: this frame is much cooler if you have a wifi network.)  Once you’re connected, the frame prompts you to visit their website and activate your account.  Once you do you will get an email address dedicated to your frame, and you (or your friends and family) can email pictures to your frame.  You can also log into your account on their website to upload pictures from your computer to your eStarling account – these will then appear on your frame (it took my pictures about 15 minutes to show up.)  One of the neatest features is the social component – you can link your frame to a variety of social websites and services, including Facebook, Flickr, Phtobucket, Picassa, Twitter (not sure about this one), YouTube and more.   In addition to these services, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds – popular ones like National Geographic or even a user-designated feed.  You can also post small videos to play on your frame if you so choose.

I did have some issues with some of the social services.  For instance, I linked my Flickr account to my eStarling frame.  It was a pretty simple, one-click connection which presumably links up eStarling’s service with Flickrs API.  Two issues presented themselves though:

1. After clicking through the Flickr to link up the accounts, instead of a “Success, awesome job, well done!” screen, I was presented with a page full of gibberish.  There was no message to tell me whether I had successfully linked the account.  I didn’t know for sure until photos started appearing on the frame.

2. When those photos did appear, they weren’t mine.  They were photos of friends mine, people to whom I am linked on Flickr.  But none of my own photos made it into the frame.  Now, I like my friends and all, but I don’t need their photos on my frame.  Whether it’s going to sit in my home, or in my parent’s home, I want my own pictures on my frame.

Ultimately I was forced to use the “custom RSS” feature and take my Flickr account’s own RSS feed and manually link that with my frame.  Even after doing that, only my most recent set (about 20 pictures or so) showed up on the frame.  I don’t really know how to pull specific sets or additional photos from Flickr into the frame.

The frame has an eight inch display (800×600 pixels) and the clarity is pretty darn sharp. (Any blurring in the images in this post is due to the photographer, not the frame.)  It’s a touch screen interface, and there are light-up touch screen buttons along the right side.  You must use the touch screen in order to connect to the wireless network, but almost everything else can be accomplished through eStarling’s web portal.   The touch buttons let you skip through photos, or jump back to menus to select specifc photos, or access settings for the frame.  But I found the touch buttons a little finicky to use – fortunately the included remote also allows you to control action on the frame.

Lastly, there’s packaging.  In the unboxing I discovered very little wasteful or non-recyclable material.  There was one small piece of closed-cell foam for padding, and a foam sleeve for the frame.  Everything else was cardboard, including the majority of the boxe’s padding.  5 gold stars for being conscious of the environment.

Overall I was impressed with the frame.  The picture clarity, the simple setup, and the social components were all fantastic.  I love that it’s wifi, and I dig the fact that I can update the photos remotely, up to and including if the frame is in another state (or country.)  However, I do think the web interface and tools need a little refinement.  They are feature-rich but lacking in the fine points of usability.  Some improvements could include better feedback to user actions (letting you know if you succeeded in linking an account), and better fine-tuning of services (to include / exclude friends’ photos, etc.)  They don’t need more options, they just need to refine and improve the ones they’ve got.

eStarling Wireless Digital Photo Frame on 12seconds.tv

Daniel Lim at Slashgear also wrote a nice review of this frame. If I were forced to give this frame a numeric rating, something which I am loathe to do, I would give it an 8 out of 10. They did a good job.  I just hope they keep improving the little sucker.

This post is also available on LIVEdigitally.

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On a scale from 1 to 10, 12seconds has done something really cool.

Today 12seconds.tv has done a few cool things:

1. They’ve re-designed their website – cool new look and feel, with a strong focus on video consumption
2. They’ve concluded their invite-only Alpha phase and opened up in a public Beta where anyone can register and use the site

3. They’ve had their iPhone application approved and launched in the iTunes App Store (for $0.99)

I’m happy for their progress from Alpha to Beta, and I think the re-design looks great.  But I’m most excited about the iPhone app.  You all know (both of you) that I’m an iPhone user, and one of my few frustrations with the device has always been the lack of a video recorder.  Apple steadfastly refuses to release one, and there’s no third-party video recording application available (unless you choose to jailbreak your phone.) This annoys me.

12seconds did not manage to sneak a video recorder through Apple’s QA team.  But they did create about the best possible workaround.  App users will take 3 photos (or choose 3 from their picture library), record twelve seconds of audio, and then post their creation to their 12seconds account (unregistered folks can create an account on the fly, in their phone.)  Somewhere in the cloud, the pics and audio are combined and then spit out as a twelve second video slideshow.  Users can email a link to their video directly from their phone  Each video has it’s own unique URL on 12seconds.tv, and can be emailed, embedded (as HTML) or downloaded onto your hard drive.  Here’s a demo of how the app works:

iphone app for 12seconds.tv from Sol Lipman on Vimeo.

One thing I really like about this app is the story telling aspect.  The series of pictures with audio narration really give you that James Earl Jones feeling of comfort.  Also, if you flub the audio and need to re-record, you can do so as many times as you like.  With traditional video, if you blow it, it’s blown.  The moment has passed.  Here’s one video I recorded with a trial version of the app:

Cold Cuts – Chinese Food Style on 12seconds.tv

The app is a first draft.  It works, and it’s intuitive, but there are some features I’d like to see added, including wanting better flexibility in choosing photos and saving drafts.  But on the whole I think the app is very usable.  There’s just room to improve.

Kudos to the 12seconds team on a great launch and a cool app.  This is the best solution to the video-recording conundrum that Apple’s created that I’ve seen yet.  If I were forced to give the iPhone app a numeric score between 1 and 10, I’d call it an 8

Related Posts:

MG Siegler at VentureBeat

Greg Kumparak at MobileCrunch

Rodney Rumford at Face Reviews

This post is also published on LIVEdigitally.

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A while back, when I first saw Steve Jobs announce the new version of the iPod shuffle, with integrated clip and super-small form factor, I was excited.  I exercise a lot, mostly running, biking and swimming.  Music (or “books on tape”) makes the whole experience a lot more tolerable, and the iPod shuffle with its light weight and built-in clip is a perfect companion.

For running and biking, the shuffle is brilliant, and I use it every day.  Every day.  However, I’ve been swimming a lot more lately, and most electronics don’t do well in water, chlorinated or otherwise.  And I’ll tell you something else.  Swimming laps is boring.  Really boring.  I find it slow, tedious, dull, and insipid.  I like the feeling of endorphin release, and the positive benefits of the exercise, but man swimming laps is uninspiring.

Enter Swimman:

Swimman.com is a service that will waterproof the iPod shuffle.  You can buy the iPod through them, or purchase it directly and send it to them.  The waterproofing treatment takes about one week, and then you’re ready to go.  They also sell waterproof headphones (which I bought) to use while swimming.

Here are the basics:

• They waterproof the shuffle
• The On/Off slider and the Shuffle/Continuous play slider are both locked in place
• The buttons become much stiffer

Otherwise it works the same as before.  If you want to shuffle your music you can set your playlist in iTunes to shuffle.  Once you get your device, you’ll want to clip your headphones and the shuffle to the headband, strap the excess cord under the headband, and then you’re ready to swim.

Swimman offers a number of packages to choose from, including just the shuffle itself, the headphones and the shuffle as a combo package, etc.  I went with package E, along with a pair of swimman headphones.  The waterproofing treatment is $100 plus $15 for shipping and handling.  The headphones are another $100.  And the 2GB shuffle is about $70.  So all told I’m down almost $300 for the luxury of waterproof tunes while lap swimming.

I’ve now used the waterproofed shuffle a total of 8 times.  I am stoked.  I switch back and forth between music and books on tape (nothing gets you pumped up like Joe Mantegna reading the Godfather.)  But I find that I can now swim longer and with less impatience.  Here are some pics of the shuffle in situ – (it looks just like any other):

On the whole I think this is awesome.  It ain’t cheap, so if you’re short of cash you might need to look at cheaper options.  But all of those options are considerably bulkier, heavier, and/or less convenient than the Swimman waterproofing treatment for the shuffle.

If I were forced to give the Swimman waterproofing system a numeric rating between 1 and 10, I’d give it an 8.  It would probably be a 9 or 10 if the price wasn’t so dang high.

This post is also available on LIVEdigitally.

Some other related posts:

Engadget

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I bought a Suunto Core watch, in orange.  I like climbing, and being in the mountains, so a watch with an altimeter makes at least some sense, which helps me justify the purchase of this rather expensive watch wristop computer.

Suunto is probably best known for their dive computers, both wristop computers, and the kind that attach to a SCUBA diver’s regulator.  However, they also make several lines of outdoor / mountain oriented wristop computers.  And they have a long history of excellence in manufacturing compasses.

An outdoor, mountain-oriented watch / wristop computer should include a couple of important features:

1. It should tell time
2. Effective alarm(s)
3. Luminescence (push button, generally) for night time use
4. Altimeter (this tells your elevation)
5. Barometer (for monitoring changes in air pressure, a good signal of impending stormy weather)
6. Compass
7. And a bunch of other things like difference measurements, logbooks, “start from zero,” depth measurements (for when you go under water), rotating bezel, button lock, etc.

There’s a cool video that shows a bunch of the neater features. Check it out.

Truthfully, what initially caught my eye was the look and style of this watch.  Many would call it garish.  I call it me.  I love the color orange, and I think the palette and style of the face itself is magnificent.  My affection for the rubbery orange band ebbs and flows, but that’s easy to change.  There’s a high-quality double hinge on both the top and bottom bands, which is an incredibly strong mechanism, and a good sign of quality.

If you’re not as into orange as I am, Suunto sells this watch in a number of different guises, both plainer and more grandiose than my selection.  (See choices to the left.)

Aside from the aesthetics, this watch packs a lot of impressive features into a small package.  Aside from telling time, my favorite feature is the altimeter.  It’s necessary to calibrate it correctly; this can be accomplished either by knowing your current elevation and setting it accordingly, or by a trickier method involving the calibration of the barometer function (which is also very cool.)  Truthfully, the manual on this sucker is extensive, and I have not quite waded through all of it yet.  However, the watch, alarm, calendar, stopwatch, light, button lock, and basic altimeter have all fallen before my wily charms.  I also had some help from my wife who is usually cleverer than me when it comes to gadgets, buttons, sequences, and other things requiring both patience and logic.  Those are not my strong suits.

It’s fairly large compared to an average wrist watch, though not excessively so.  It’s very comfortable, and not overly heavy in spite of its bulk.  Sometimes if it slides forward and when I bend my wrist it gets in the way.  Also, if I’m resting my hands on the edge of my laptop to type, the band can interfere with my personal ergonomics.  Small price to pay  for fortune and glory, but it’s an issue nonetheless.  It’s also waterproof to 30 meters, which is not diving depth, but certainly has you covered for showers, swimming, or even most snorkeling.  For more extensive water activities (like SCUBA) you might look at some of their other products.

This device is not cheap.  The retail on the orange model is around $350.  The least expensive Core model is $250 (in black and yellow.) You can purchase it through any number of online retailers, including Backountry.com.  If you want to see one in person, REI carries them, and many high-end, well stocked outdoor retailers will also probably carry them.

If you’re looking for a distinctive looking and expensive wrist watch, or for an extremely feature-rich, mountain-focused wristop computer, this is an outstanding purchase.  I highly reccomend, and if I were forced to give it a numeric rating I’d call it an 8 out of 10.  I will update this review after my next big outdoor trip.

Here’s a video review of the Suunto Core in twelve seconds:

Suunto Core Wristop Computer on 12seconds.tv

This review is also posted on LIVEdigitally.

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I would not say that my daily morning coffee is essential.  But it is something I have nearly every day, and I miss it when I don’t have it.  I love the taste and especially the smell, though honestly I like it best with a healthy shot of half-and-half in it.  Black coffee doesn’t actually do much for me.  And I don’t like sugar or sweeteners in it either.  Nor lattes, mochas, cappucinos, americanos or espressos.  Good old fashioned american drip coffee, that’s my pleasure.

Right now at home we are brewing Peet’s New Guinea blend, and I care for it a great deal.

I got started drinking coffee at independent coffee shops when I was in college, but I’ve ended up drinking a lot of  Starbucks and Peets.  Some people say the big national (and international, I’ve been to Starbucks in Japan and it’s awesome!) coffee chains are killing good coffee, but I don’t feel that impact.  I do like the fact that those chains are consistent.  I may not get the best coffee in the world, but I know what I will get, and it’s good every time.  I like my coffee really strong, and really dark.  Some people call it Charbucks, but that’s how I like it.  “I like my coffee black, like my men.”  (Airplane, 1 nothing. )

I am not the only person who digs their coffee.  My friend Rochelle (who likes coffee herself) told me about a great blog called Stuff White People Like.  Know what the #1 thing white people like is?  Coffee.

My daily coffee routine gets a solid 8 out of 10.  I like the taste, it perks me up, and it keeps me regular.  That’s right, I poop better after coffee. 

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I got a Starbucks carabiner mug as a birthday present several years ago. I still use, and I still like it. I am into climbing and stuff like that, so the idea of a mug that has an integrated clip or carabiner is appealing. In truth, the feature is definately more gimmick than value-add, but it is neat. And if the mug is empty, then the clip can come in pretty handy to attach the mug to a backpack strap or shoulder strap.

In theory, the lid does seal pretty well. There is a rubberized plug that fits snugly into the drinking hole in the top. However, if the mug is lying on its side or left upside down, I have found that they do leak. My buddy (the one who bought it for me) has several of these coffee mugs (different colors) and often sets them down sideways, partially full, with the lid closed in the hopes that it will not leak, or at least not leak very much. I think he has had more success than I’ve had, but this mug is definitely not 100% spill-proof. But for walking upstairs, or jogging to catch up with someone, it is a good way to contain your hot liquids.

The integrated carabiner clip is made of metal and seems pretty sturdy. Because the seal is not outstanding, I would not like to clip the mug and leave it dangling while full, but it is handy in certain circumstances. The cup is made of aluminum and double-walled, so it keeps hot beverage hot, and cold beverages cold. (But how do it know?) The bottom is rubberized, as are sections of the middle of the mug. The rubber is studded (not for her pleasure you sicko) which provides an excellent gripping surface. And the lid is heat resistant, extra-hard plastic. It’s a pretty sturdy design overall, rugged and resistant to abuse.

It is dishwasher safe, but not good for the microwave (the whole “metal” thing.) My friend Ben can explain all about what happens when you put an aluminum coffee mug in the microwave.

Here is a quick video showing the mug.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-179458250563218396&pr=goog-sl]

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That’s a good example of a bad example. Meaning, that was a sucky fact. Not only does no one care, it is a.) totally unverifiable, and 2.) completely irrelevant. That’s not a cool one you can drop at a party… But, I think this one is the exception, rather than the rule. Most of the time you get a really cool factoid like #233 which says: “Atlanic Salmon are capable of leaping 15 feet high.” Now that is a cool random fact. Or, take #227: “Today’s “modern” wrestling moves have been seen in tomb drawings from ancient Egypt.” That is a great, fun fact that I would never have known without Snapple. I suppose I don’t really care, but I do think it’s fun. (So I guess then that I do care?)

If you never remember to keep your Snapple caps (like me), and you don’t have the spare brain cells to keep all the Snapple facts you ever read memorized (like me) then you can always visit their website to see the facts (and find new ones.)

The point here is, it’s just plain fun to open the Snapple and see what’s under the cap. No stupid games or points, just information. Points for your mind man. Points for your mind.

So I say Snapple facts rate an 8, because they are enjoyable and informative. If they didn’t have the occassional moronic factoid peppered here and there they would have gotten a 10. But heck, an 8 is pretty darn good. So let me leave you with a doozie – it’s appropriate since there is a movie currently dulling senses of tens of thousands of Americans right now that revolves around this topic. Snapple Real Fact #133: “You have to play ping-pong for 12 hours to lose one pound.” I feel smarter now, and I’m sure you do too.

Post Script

You may have noticed that I did not talk much about flavor, ingredients, or company ethos. This post is not about Snapple as a drink or a company; it is restricted in focus to the merits (and demerits) of the “Real Fact” system. Lemon Snapple is probably my favorite flavor though. That is David Fact #11 : “I like lemon Snapple.”

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In my honest opinion, water is essential for life. Ok, that’s not really an opinion. More of a scientific fact, as I understand it. But I like water, and I think it deserves a ten.

Did you know that scientists “may” have found standing water on the surface of Mars?

Water is good to drink. Best if it’s potable, but… ok really it has to be potable or you’ll get sick. But it keeps you hydrated (sort of by definition,) helps curb over-eating, prevents kidney stones, I could go on.

And I will. Water helps to lubricate joints, to regulate blood pressure, keep skin elastic, aid digestion and metabolize stored fat. And it helps to prevent dehydration.

Water covers more than 70% of this planet. When we (humans) are growing in our mother’s bellies, we live inside amniotic fluid which is in many ways similar to water. We breathe through gills like fish. And what do fish live in? Water.

Ocean water in particular is very healthy for human skin. Spending time in the ocean can help to heal small cuts and scrapes, and improves the skin and complexion. Ocean water is not helpful in preventing dehydration. But it’s good for your skin.

The cycle of water is something that most kids in the United States learn in elementary school. The basic premise of said cycle is that water on the surface of the Earth gets heated and evaporates, it collects in the upper atmosphere, condenses into clouds and after reaching a certain weight, density and set of conditions begins to release precipitation back to the surface. Hence the term: cycle.

I like water. It helps to prevent dehydration. It is good to drink, good to swim in, good to learn about, hopefully it exists in many other places in the universe. Because water is essential for life as we know it. And if there is life in other places, some of that life might be good looking. And that would be sweet. Totally sweet.

Water deserves a 10.

She is not dehydrated. She is Hydrated. Because she drinks plenty of water.

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I am not referring to the myth that you can kill a werewolf with a “silver bullet.” Obviously silver is way too soft of a metal to use as a slug in a bullet.

(I sounded like I knew what I was talking about there, huh? I think lead is actually pretty soft too.)

No, I am talking about Coors Light, the rocky mountain silver bullet.

In my younger days I was a sincere beer snob. If it wasn’t imported then I wasn’t gonna drink it. Of late I have begun to drink more domestic beer, especially Budweiser and Coors Light. It’s not that I have suddenly decided that they taste better (they don’t), nor that that I’m suddenly patriotic (always have been and always will be.) Rather, I have discovered some particular attributes that I appreciate in some of our domestically brewed adult beverages.

1. They are cheap

2. On a hot sunny day of water-skiing in 100 degree weather, you do not want to be drinking Guiness. Coors Light is almost like hydrating while you get drunk. Yay.

So, while I still like a good imported Belgian beer (Delerium Tremens is a personal favorite) I can get behind a Coors Light while sitting down to Family Guy and take-out Chinese food (OK, it was delivered.)

God Bless America

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My Review: 6.5

Every once in a while meet someone who says “on a hot day, after exercise, there’s nothing better that a large, cold glass of milk.” Every time I hear that or think about that, I want to vomit. For me, a cold glass of water is the way to go. However, often times a diet coke will work as well. I’m sure the milk drinkers are not only furious at this point, they want to vomit as well. But eff them.

I grew up drinking diet soda. I know that’s not healthy, and cancer from saccharine saturation must be imminent, but diet soda is simply my way of life. So where does diet Coke rank in the list, and more importantly what are the positive and negative attributes that define the beverage?

The major players are obviously diet Coke and diet Pepsi, but numerous other beverages jockey for important t positions in the diet soda market. Diet Dr. Pepper (DDP as we call it) is a great one, and Tab is an oldie but goodie from my early years that has had a recent resurgence. And, thanks to greater awareness about sugar consumption in recent decades, almost every soda available has a diet counterpart.

Diet Coke is certainly one of the most recognizable brands in the space, which is an important factor. There is a mythos and qualitative difference in recognized brands – a feeling that is present when drinking something that millions of other people also drink. Also, there is a consistency and dependability inherent in a stable brand like Diet Coke.

Regarding flavor, Diet Coke is good. (Drinkers of regular soda need not read this at all. Y’all think diet sodas taste gross, and we diet devotees can’t stomach the amount of sugar found in regular soda.) As I was saying Diet Coke is good. I don’t think it’s great, but it is more than palatable, and as mentioned previously it is eminently reliable. And the image of Paris Hilton (see prior entries in this site) drinking a condensation beaded ice-cold can of diet coke takes a diet beverage enthusiast quite a long way.

Bottom line is this: taste is subjective almost to the point of defining the word. I like DDP, but my friend Jeff prefers diet Coke. That’s cool, there’s lots of options out there. But diet Coke has good flavor, solid branding and marketing, and is a safe harbor when in a sea of competing (and sometimes strange) alternatives. I say 6.5 for DC.

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