External hard drives are getting smaller and better all the time. LaCie’s Rikiki Go hard drive combines a small form-factor with a rugged aluminum exterior and an integrated USB cable, packing a lot of punch for something so small and affordable. Available in 500GB for $90 or 1TB for $150. To get an idea of scale, the 500GB model (shown here) is a half an inch thick.
Via Acquire
Apple continues their quest for living room domination with the newly unveiled Apple TV. For a hundred bucks, you can stream movies and shows from your home network, Netflix, or iTunes. Instead of buying content, Apple has placed emphasis on renting. Rent HD movies from $3.99 and HD shows (commercial free) for 99 cents. It comes with a handy remote, and connects to your screen via HDMI. Around back you’ll also find an ethernet port and optical audio. Ships in 4 weeks, available for pre-order now.
Advertisement
Every now and then, you might find yourself wanting to hook a garden hose to your kitchen sink. We don’t know why, maybe you need warm water out there for some reason. To make an easy job of it, consider the Koala Indoor Faucet Connector. It’ll connect your hose to most long-neck faucets without the need for any tools.
Via Book of Joe
If you’re a camper, you know the joy of finding a piece of gear that can accomplish more than one vital task, thereby saving space and weight. The LightCap 300 is a water bottle that doubles as a solar lantern. The 9.7 oz bottle is BPA free and features a wide-mouth opening for easy cleaning or storing contents. The cap houses super bright LED lights that charge via the top-side solar panel. If you ever need light and water (hint: this is often), this is a worthy consideration.
The peep hole in your door lets you have a look at visitors before opening up, but the view isn’t very good, and looking through alerts any undesirables (solicitors, bad guys, your crazy ex) to your presence.
This Digital Peep Hole Viewer gives you more control over the situation by essentially replacing your standard peep hole with a digital video camera and LCD screen. It compensates for low-light scenarios, and presents you with a clear picture of whatever’s outside (no more fisheye distortion either). It runs on two AA batteries, which should last for about 1,700 views.
When this book was written, for some, knowing the right knot meant the difference between life and death. These days, that knowledge is still mighty useful. The Ashley Book of Knots is 640 pages long, featuring more than 3,900 knots explained through 7,000 illustrations. That’s likely more information than you’ll ever need on the subject.
Belkin makes some lovely power strips, and this one is no exception. The Belkin Clamp-On Surge Protector lets you put your power where it belongs – close to what you’re powering. It’ll latch onto the edge of your desk, work table, sawhorse, or whatever else you can think of that measures 1-1/2 inches thick or less.
UTILITY JOURNAL is a daily internet publication that brings you items & services you can use to do things well. It's not all wrenches and ropes, but you won't read about neckties or DVDs here either. If we write about it, it does a job.
Updates via Twitter or RSS
Advertisement
