Dyson Air Multiplier - November 27

The Dyson Air Multiplier is one of the cooler gimmicks I've seen hit the market lately. It's advertised as being a "bladeless" fan which, isn't entirely true, and also pumps out non-buffeted air. The downsides are its price and the fact that it sounds like a vacuum cleaner instead of a fan. The fan is $300 for the 10-inch model and $330 for the 12-inch model and neither of them offer nearly as much wind as a comparable fan does.

Goalie Masks - November 27

Goalie masks have evolved over the years. There was a time when goalies didn't even wear masks because of the coach's fears that it will hinder their ability to play. The first mask worn in an NHL game was on November 1, 1959 by Jacques Plante after a puck broke his nose. The coach, Toe Blake, was extremely angry but had no other backup goalie. Ever since then the goalie mask has been worn, and has grown beyond something made just to protect them. Most goalies have a design on the mask that is a reflection of themselves and are very personal. In the picture above the words "Bulin Wall" are a play off his name, Khabibulin. The picture underneath is of Rick Dipietro and he has a design of Vietnam war veterans, after his father. Not all goalie masks are as great as these, but for the most part they are pretty cool nowadays. Some just have the team's mascot or name on their with a design, and some go to a more personal level. In the future they may change even more. We've seen them go from no mask to a plain white masks to all out colorful designs. Maybe they can go holographic next, or employ some ways to distract the opposing team. It's all up to the goalies and how far they want to take it.

Interactive Shower - 11/4/09

I saw this design for an interactive shadow today on Gizmodo. It's an interesting idea to say the least. The idea is to have a touch screen shower that is able to control the temperature, the jet intensities, whatever media you are wanting to play, and the sound. I don't know if people would actually use it for these functions unless they're taking a bath, but a shower...it just doesn't seem even remotely practical. The shower doesn't actually exist or anything, it's just a design. It would be pretty amazing to see it in action though. Watch some Jaws with the jets turned all the way up; sounds like good fun.

American Mcgee's Alice - 11/04/09

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was always meant to be a book for children. A world, not necessarily of happiness, of wonder with talking animals who inhabit it. It's completely made up of the imagination of a child who is bored and wants to go on an adventure. American Mcgee's Alice corrupted this story, and world, and twisted it into a macabre, but amazing adventure. The story is about the same Alice who went to Wonderland, this time a few years in the future, after who first couple adventures. It starts with her dreaming in Wonderland when her house catches fire. Her dream friends wake her up and she listens to her parents screaming in pain as they burn alive. This corrupts her and she is sent to a sanitarium. Then the game begins, and you enter the new evil that is Wonderland. Her insanity has changed the place beyond belief, and any resemblance of a child's imaginary playland is gone. Like I said, the opening scene hits hard and you really feel her pain. As the game goes on it becomes increasingly violent, and you can feel her mind slipping even further away. It's a brilliant design and a nice break from the norm. With the new Tim Burton movie coming out I wonder, and possibly this version if they ever get around to it, if this game will get overshadowed and seen as nothing more than a copycat. Even after 8(?) years this game still manages to hypnotize me and I get lost in the world that is Wonderland.

OnLive - 11/1/09

http://www.onlive.com/index.html

Onlive is a new service that was officially revealed earlier this year and will make it easier for people with not so great computers to play demanding games. Using an internet connection you connect to one of the OnLive servers. The server runs whatever game you choose at the highest settings your internet can handle, up to 720p. The games will run in real-time, meaning no lag, and will basically be beautiful and smooth. There is also a micro-console that can be hooked to the TV to play and can handle up to four controllers. The games aren't downloaded so players can jump into a game right away. Right now there are no details on the pricing model, but you can expect it to be reasonable. It is currently scheduled to be released in Winter 2009. People with bad computers or just can't afford to get a new computer every 3 years will benefit from this if they decide they want it. Then again, the people with bad computers probably can't pay for the fast internet connection it demands so who knows whats going to happen. It's pretty cool to see that we are capable of streaming some very demanding games instantly, and with no lag. It's been tried before and didn't really go anywhere, but this company has tons of support behind it and the demos looked to work flawlessly. We'll see how it all turns out this Winter!