Archive for February, 2009
Suima Robotic Crib Soothes and De-Souls Your Child
We’ve had a lot of refreshingly non-personal computing news lately, including the Kindle 2 e-book reader today and the recent Xpress Redi-Set-Go Cooker Review. So after you’ve filled your day doing some electronic reading and stuffing yourself with personal pizzas, and maybe a favorite espresso drink after dinner, make sure to put tikey down in this soul-crushing robotic crib from Suima.
For only $5,000, it will detect baby’s cries and rock at a parent-simulating 1.8 second ‘pulse’. No word on how fast those little wheels can accelerate this thing, or what kind of monster your child may turn out to be after growing up in there. Just kidding, this is actually pretty cool – if we could afford one we’d be happy to test our infant in it! You hear that Suima? Send us a review unit to evaluate!
[Thanks to BotJunkie]
Kindle 2 Review of What We Know
Review of What We Know
Amazon’s Kindle 2 eBook Reader is official and it looks amazing. Via press conference today Amazon took the wraps off the 2nd generation Kindle. While the photos we saw a few days before were indeed real and tantalizing, the details and capabilities revealed today continue to impress:
- Thinner than an iPhone
- Improved screen with 16 shades of grey (original Kindle had only 4)
- Improved memory holding 1,500 eBooks (original Kindle could store 200)
- New text-to-speech capability
- 600 x 800 ePaper resolution, with no backlight to improve battery life
- 4 to 5 days reading time with wireless on, up to 2 weeks with wireless off – on a single charge
- Built-in Oxford Dictionary for instant access to 250,000 word definitions
- Free 3G wireless coverage via Sprint’s WhisperNet
- Comfortable Reading: Adjustable type sizes & no glare in sunlight
- Bundled with free copy of Stephen King’s “Ur”
- $359 price – same as original Kindle
Units ship Feb 24th. Order now from Amazon.
Analysis
We had high hopes for the Kindle 2 and Amazon definitely delivered an attractive and feature-packed eBook reader in the Kindle 2. While price may be a barrier to some, consider the savings from libraries of classic ebooks online like gutenberg.org and the convenience of having an entire library of up to 1,500 titles in your pocket, er, briefcase or backpack.
We love the wireless ability – no wrestling with WiFi hotspots and no fees. This will allow Amazon to push software updates and customers to download books without a computer involved.
We have a feeling there’s going to be a very long line forming at Amazon.com!
Xpress Redi-Set-Go Review
As we stated earlier in our preview, the Xpress RediSetGo (www.redisetgo.com) is an indoor electric cooker. The Redi-Set-Go is the new incarnation of the venerable GT Xpress 101 which has been on TV for years. Both are infomercial products which we always eye with a healthy dose of suspicion. The new grill is already catching GTX bloggers interest. Cathy Mitchell, pitch woman for the Xpress Redi-Set-Go, claims the cooker can help anyone make quick, delicious, inexpensive and healthy meals at home.
We put our evaluation unit through the grueling paces at Gonzo Kitchens to see if the unit can deliver on that infomercial promise.
First Impressions
The cooker looks good for starters – the design folks definitely improved on the bland and somewhat cheap look of the GT Xpress 101. The Express ReadySetGo has a fire engine red finish and sweeping ‘handles’ on the sides. We were initially disappointed by the plastic cover – it feels well-constructed but we just hoped it would be metal like it’s color-mate the Kitchenaid. However a lighter cover makes sense as the cooker has a floating hinge to allow foods to rise while cooking. On the bright side we immediately dug the arrangement of controls on the lid – the timer and on/off switch are simple but appealing. Our cooker came with two insertable pans – a divider pan and a “mini food” pan (for making appetizers, mini-treats, etc). You can remove these to serve food and they are dishwasher safe.
The unit also comes with a recipe book with lots of recipes plus a foldout recipe mini-booklet with a handful more. Some are the ones you see in the infomercial itself. Finally you get a space age double-sided spatula to retrieve meals from the Redi-Set-Go.
Fast Healthy Meal #1: Pizza
We hit the grocery store to test out the Express RediSetGo. We brushed a small amount of olive oil in the base of the unit (no insertable pan was used) and hit “On” to pre-heat the unit. The pre-heat was very fast – roughly 45 seconds.
Here’s the Gonzo Pizza recipe: Place a wheat pita bread, about 6″ wide, in the pre-heated RediSetGo. Top with a few spoonfuls of pizza sauce. Add pepperoni slices, banana peppers and shredded cheese. Very simple! Close the lid, set the timer to 7 minutes and wait.
It smelled great after only a few minutes – but we were still surprised at the results when the timer went “Ding!” The crust had gotten perfectly crispy without being burnt and the toppings were well cooked but not over-cooked.
The final verdict? A delicious personal pizza.
Fast Healthy Meal #2: German Puffy Pancake
This is a favorite at Gonzo Kitchens, but nothing like it is in Cathy Mitchell’s included recipe book. So we figured this might very well be a failure. A German Pancake rises like a souffle and sinks in the center as it cools.
Mix 4 eggs, 1 cup milk (we used Skim), 1 cup flour, 1 tsp vanilla. To cook, add just enough batter to cover the base of the Xpress Redi-Set-Go with a thin layer.
We guessed and set the timer to 7 minutes. This recipe takes 30 minutes in a normal oven at 350 degrees!
The first pancake turned out great. It puffed up within the unit and browned on top and bottom, just like in an oven. This results in a light and crispy pancake breakfast. Top with a little butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice, or just use some melted butter/margarine and maple syrup like a normal pancake.
Next we added a favorite spin – we thinly sliced & peeled a Gala apple. We added batter as above to the unit, then placed a few apple slices on top, along with a sprinkling of cinnamon and brown sugar. Not bad with our double latte from our other Gonzo Kitchen’s favorite – the DeLonghi Magnifica ESAM3300 espresso machine.
The final verdict? Delicious and easy breakfast and wayfaster than baking in an oven!
Summary & Recommendation
As you probably guessed, we enjoyed cooking with Cathy’s Mitchell’s Express Ready-Set-Go. Our first two meals were unqualified successes and got us thinking about new things to try. The Redi-Set-Go truly makes quick food, and it’s versatile with the insertable pans and ability to cook, bake, steam and grill all in one small unit which is easy to store. We like that it pre-heats so quickly and it cooks quickly. This is the perfect solution when cooking for yourself or for two.
We were very happy with our experience with the Xpress Redi-Set-Go and we will admit that this is one infomercial product that delivers the goods. See below for more photos of our tests.
Highly recommended!
For now the Xpress Redi-Set-Go appears to be available only at the Xpress Redi-Set-Go official site or via 800 number (see site for details).
Check popular Xpress Redi Set Go Coupons sites for additional savings or bundle deals.
Kindle 2.0 Details Leaked?
UPDATE: The leaks were real and now we have the gory details … Kindle 2 Review of What We Know
Hot on the heals of our story yesterday about the anticipated Kindle 2.0 announcement, comes what may be leaked candid photos of Amazon’s soon-to-be-born baby. Not only that – we have a rumored price and release date too. How does $359 on February 24th sound to you?
If this is truly Kindle 2.0, we’re duly impressed. The reader is far more appealing in next gen form. Much improved form-factor and styling compared with the original Kindle. We’re still not a fan of the many many buttons around the sides and would prefer an edge-to-edge screen to maximum reading. At least Amazon has made them less obtrusive and the apparent thinness is unbelievable.
We guess Kindle 3.0 will be when they release it with a touch screen! Check the photos. More on Monday Feb 9 when Amazon’s official press conference is underway.
[Leaked via Forum Post at MobileRead.com]
What’s Next for Amazon’s Kindle?
UPDATE: No more need for speculation, Amazon’s press conference provided all the details … Kindle 2 Review of What We Know
Out for over a year now, Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader brought e-ink and portable electronic reading into the mainstream in a big way. Analysts estimate the ebook reader has sold over 500,000 units. Amazon is holding a press conference Monday February 9th. Most in the industry expect Amazon will use this event to usher in Kindle’s successor – Kindle 2.
Thanks much to Amazon’s efforts, consumers have many sources to find ebook content today – both free and paid. Popular sites for ebook aficianados include Amazon.com, gutenberg.org (classics), worldlibrary.net (400k titles; $8.95 annual for unlimited use) and fictionwise.com.
Amazon is mum on details of course, so we’ll have to see what they announce on Monday. For our part, we’re hoping for the rumored split in product line – a larger workhorse model as well as a more stylish, thinner model. Throw in a little touchscreen love while you’re at it, willya, Amazon? All those little buttons crammed on the face really drop the “hip” factor of the first generation.
The ebook space, despite a weak global economy, may be set to explode into a major new consumer electronics category. For our part, we are ready to welcome our new e-ink sporting overlords.
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