Toronto Thumbs

ODD PROD
Belkin Mini Surge Protector w/USB Charger

Traveling is a huge pain mostly because of time spent/wasted in and around airports. Second to that, the fact that you’re away from home and have to remember to take everything you could possibly need with you can cause all kinds of unwanted stress.

The week before I left for Seattle, I received this odd product from Belkin. It was given away to attendees of their Museum of Belkin Art (MoBA) expo in Toronto and it’s a surprisingly simple yet useful device. In fact, its simplicity makes me wonder why up until then, I hadn’t seen anything like this before. The Belking Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger is just that. You get three jacks to plug in regular power plugs and two for charging USB devices such as cell phones, iPods, and Zunes. At home, I use this to charge my Zune and my wife’s iPod at the same time, for instance.

I already have a single, and expensive iPod charging adapter. It’s just a plug to stick into a wall outlet with one lonely and pathetic USB jack on the other end. It only charges one thing at once: an iPod. It’s completely useless now - and it cost me more than this thing would have cost me if I bought it (Belkin’s product has an MSRP of $24.99 whereas the dedicated iPod charger cost me $50 in 2005).

While away for PAX, I was able to keep my Zune AC adapter at home. This handy device let me charge it, my laptop, my cell phone, and my DS all at the same time and with minimal cord clutter. The prongs that plug into the wall can swivel at the click of a button to one of four possible orientations, so you’ll most likely be able to find room for this handy device in your home or wherever your travels may take you. I highly recommend it.

Posted in Awesome, Odd Prods, Reviews | No Comments »

ODD PROD
Game Controller-shaped Calculator

While shopping for some printer paper at Staples last night, I came across this very odd prod and had to quickly snap photographs of it with my camera phone (hence the poor quality). What is it? Well, if you can’t figure it out, it’s a cheap little calculator that’s shaped like a game controller. It was about five dollars but hey, I’m no Rockefeller, so I passed on buying it. I mean, look, this is all fine and dandy but where was it the last time I needed a calculator?

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Posted in Odd Prods | 3 Comments »

ODD PROD: Wii 2.1 Stereo Speaker System

Here’s an Odd Prod from across the pond: the Wii 2.1 Stereo Speaker System. You think I’m joking, don’t you? I thought this was an April Fool’s joke when I saw it (it was April 1) but after some more investigation, both Adam Russell and I soon realized that while incredibly strange, this is no joke.

The Wii 2.1 Stereo System comes with a remote control shaped like a Wii Remote, has two nunchuk-motif satellite speakers, and its subwoofer looks like a Wii with some GameCube style sensibilities. The best part is that the Wii can sit comfortably beside it, which is oddly somewhat alluring to me.

While the system is available only in the UK at this point, we’re hoping it gets some sort of North American release. 4gamers is the company behind it and I was able to pick up their Wii Messenger Bag (that I use for day-to-day courier duties rather than to transport my Wii) at Toys R Us in Toronto, so my fingers are effectively crossed. Stay tuned to Toronto Thumbs for more info on this should it make its way over.

Posted in Odd Prods, Wii | 2 Comments »

ODD PROD: n52te

The Belkin n52te takes the awesome design of the Nostromo n52 SpeedPad and adds back lighting to it.

“Just what is the n52te?” you may be wondering. Well it’s a computer peripheral that first and foremost is a video game controller. Taking the WASD key movement setup found in most first-person PC games and mapping them to easier-to-reach keys, the n52te effectively makes using a keyboard for gaming a distant memory. All of the keys are programmable with not only mapping functions, but also complicated macros, too.

And it’s not just for gaming. Let’s say you have a complicated set of Photoshop macros. The n52te, with included software, can pull that off, too. All with just the click of one button. Of course, this all has to be programmed in the first place, but once that initial set-up is out of the way, you might end up forgetting a few keyboard shortcuts.

Now let’s say you have to switch programs. Not a problem for the n52te. It knows what program you’re using, so you don’t risk accidentally applying a Photoshop macro to a Word document, for instance. The controller even has 4 different modes it can switch through - so you can set multiple mapping and/or macro sets for individual programs. The whole thing may sound complicated, but it really isn’t. I’ve been using its predecessor, the Belkin Nostromo SpeedPad n52 for the past four years, and I have absolutely no complaints other than the fact that they don’t make a right handed version of the product. I’d love to be able to replace my keyboard entirely with two of these.

The n52te is set to release soon in Canada. For more information, check out n52te.com.

Posted in Odd Prods, PC | No Comments »

A Great Flea Market Find

Many years ago (I am thinking around 1997 or 1998) I decided to make a trek to London, Ontario to visit the Gibraltar Weekend Market on Dundas Street. I really wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but video games are always on the radar so I thought I might find something cheap. I’m always looking for that hidden gem in the pile of junk in the corner and my hopes were on that for this visit.

After going through the usual ‘treasure piles’ (some would say junk piles) I made my way back to a vendor that looked like a video store. It had all kinds of movies (mostly VHS at this point, of course). I often find that these are the places that have video games too if they had anything to do with a rental business.

Interestingly enough, just a week or two prior I had printed out a Nintendo NES game list (complete with rarities) and had gone through my collection and ticked off every game I owned. I paid particular attention to the rare ones and knew enough to keep an eye out for the ones marked “ER” (extremely rare).

When I walked around one corner, something that looked like a cartoon character out of a video game caught my eye. I walked up to find Linus Spacehead. It looked like a video game, but I didn’t know what an ‘Aladdin’ was.

Something clicked as I looked closer at the box and realized that I was looking at the Aladdin Deck Enhancer (for the NES) version of the game. Something told me it was extremely rare, so I consulted my game list. Sure enough, ER+!

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Posted in Blast From the Past, Flea Market Finds, Nintendo, Odd Prods | 1 Comment »

ODD PROD: Wii Gum

This Wii remote is actually a tin full of gum.

I was in Stadium Comics last weekend when I came across this odd product (or odd prod, if you will). It’s a tin full of gum. While the gum itself is nothing extraordinary, the tin is so close to looking like a real Wii Remote that many of the store’s customers, I’m told, are actually fooled by it at first.

I didn’t get a chance to photograph the display, but I did buy one and take several photos. I’m a big fan of tin containers and this is now the latest one to be cluttering up the desk in my home office. The gum sells for about $3 a tin, for anyone who’s interested. I’ve only ever seen it at Stadium Comics, but other hobby/comic/toy shops may carry it. If not, you could probably get them to order some in.

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Posted in Odd Prods, Wii | 2 Comments »